A bubble bursting with love
by Metope
Summary: In Neverland nothing is what it seems, not the trees, not the lost boys, not the pirates and most certainly not the mermaids. What secret is Regina hiding from the group, and what has our beloved one-handed pirate got to do with it? Meanwhile in fairy tale land that is a pirate and a young woman meet each other under odd circumstances. Takes place after 2x22 - HookedQueen
1. Chapter 1

**I**

* * *

_**In fairytale land**_

Regina let out a content sigh as she led her horse off the forest path to the small lake she had spotted between the trees. It hadn't taken her much effort to lose the guard Leopold had sent with her to 'protect' her. She smirked, she could protect herself well enough, the little magic she had learned from Rumplestiltskin already made her perfectly capable of taking care of herself. But of course the King didn't know that.

When she arrived at the lake she dismounted her horse and left him tied to one of the trees as she walked up to the lake. Just as she was about to crouch down near the lake to drink some of the water, she suddenly felt how the blade of a knife was pressed against her throat and how an arm wrapped around her chest preventing her arms from moving. However, she felt she could still move her hands, enough to use magic to get herself out of this situation, she thought with a smirk..

"Your riding clothes look expensive, love." A man's voice sounded in her right ear. "So why don't you give me all the jewels and coins you have with you and no harm will be done."

"I don't think so." She answered calmly and with one swift move she swept the man over her back and threw him into the lake by magic. Quickly she set a step back and as soon as she saw the man come up out of the water she lifted him up in the air with her hand.

"You really should try to find out more about your victims before you attack them, _love_." She imitated the man who now was hanging in the air, water dripping from his clothes and confusion in his eyes.

"Who are you?" The man asked confused.

"O I don't think it's up to you to ask questions here." Regina answered. "You better tell me _your_ name first."

The man let out a mocking laugh. "I don't think so. Not until you lower me down again."

Regina let out a devious laugh as she did as the man asked her and released him, causing the dark haired bandit to plunge back into the lake. Regina patiently waited for the man to swim ashore and as he had gotten himself on dry land again she gave him dry clothes with a little help of her magic.

The man, who only had one hand she now saw as the other was a hook, let a small gasp escape from his lips as he suddenly wore dry clothes again. Getting over the initial shock and getting his act back together he quickly set as step in Regina's direction, meant to intimidate her. Regina however didn't back away a single step and so the distance between their faces was suddenly less than a few inches.

"Now. Tell me your name." Regina said in a low voice.

"Killian Jones at your service, milady." The man said with a smirk as he smelled an apple scent in her breath. "But those who know me better call me Hook, Captain Hook." He continued.

"A captain, oh my." Regina said unimpressed as she walked around the man and admired his muscular body that was perfectly visible under the thin black shirt he was wearing. "And what does a _pirate_ do here in the forest attacking an innocent woman?"

Hook snorted. "Woman. I'm sorry love but you're hardly a woman. You can't be older than nineteen?" He let out a smile as he saw a short flicker of anger appear in the brunette's eyes.

"Well, either way…" Regina said as she ignored the rude man's comment. "Fact still is that I beat you, and you didn't answer my question. What are you doing here?" She said in a more firm voice as she set a step in his direction again.

"Why all the questions, love? Don't I get to ask a question too?"

"After you have answered mine you can ask _one_, pirate."

"Deal. I'm here for business ends." Hook answered truthfully. "I was on my way back to my ship, but a pirate is a pirate, and when he sees something he likes he wants it, so I went after you first." The man said with a smirk, trying to shock the girl with his rude and vulgar answer but was shocked as her face stayed as indifferent as it had been all the time.

"Good." Was all she said. "You can ask your question now. But be careful" she warned "I _will_ punish you if you ask me something I don't like."

"O don't worry, love. I'll ask you a very innocent question. The only thing I want to know is who you are?" This time Hook did see something else than the indifferent mask that her face had been wearing. There was a short moment of confusion and then joy in those dark brown eyes.

"So you really don't know who I am, then" Regina said trying to hide the surprise in her voice. At first she had thought he was just one of the rudest men she had ever met, trying to steal from the Queen. And she had also expected him to ask her to sleep with him or something vulgar like that. Surely, if he knew who she was he wouldn't have asked this question? Well this most certainly created new opportunities, she thought.

"Should I?" Hook asked, genuinely interested now in who she was.

"Yes you should." Regina said with an amused smile. "But since you don't know, I think it's better to keep it that way."

"And why is that?" The pirate answered as he followed the girl with his eyes.

"Because you're going to keep me company here for a while, and it's better for both of us if you do that while not knowing who I am."

Hook laughed in disbelieve. "And what makes you think I'm willing to do that?"

"You just said you went after me because 'you saw something you like', so I'm sure you won't have that much a problem with it. And besides, I don't think you have much choice in the matter either. If you don't do it I'll make sure you'll be punished appropriately for your attempt to rob me and god knows what other plans you had. And believe me, when that happens, you wished you would have just kept me company, for you have _no_ idea what I'm capable of."

"And why is it you want someone like _me_ to keep you company? I'm sure a lady like yourself can find herself much better company." Hook answered as he couldn't help but feel amused about the way this small girl tried to intimidate him.

Regina let out a humorless laugh. "O that's where you are wrong captain. I'm much like you, in a matter of fact."

"And how am I?"

"You are lonely. I know pirates, they are never alone. Always laughing and celebrating whatever treasure they have found. No pirate will ever walk alone through the forest like you do. You're different; you're not like those you're supposed to be alike. Just like I am not like the people you think I belong with."

Hook couldn't help but feel vulnerable because this girl, _woman_ as she herself said she was, was awfully close to the truth with her description of him. Pirates were indeed never alone, but then again he wasn't like the other pirates indeed. And as a matter of fact he _was_ lonely, so maybe it wouldn't hurt to keep her company for a while after all. She would have to leave eventually and then he would be free to go again. Because as much as he thought her threads had been more adorable than intimidating, she did have magic or something of the sort, and it was better to be careful.

"Alright. I'll keep you company." He said and he felt his heart skip a beat as she sent him a beautiful genuine smile.

"Good." She said as she sat down against a tree and gestured him to come to sit next to her. "Now tell me. What is it a pirate does?"

* * *

**Neverland, present day**

Regina stared out over the dark, almost black sea of Neverland. She was so lost in her thoughts and worries that she was almost oblivious to the constant arguing of Gold and Hook. They had been on the ship for two days now and things were getting tense. Hook and Gold hadn't stopped arguing since Gold had accidentally spilled some rum on the leather coat of the captain on day one. Emma was still blaming Regina for all that had happened; 'if she hadn't went to get that fail safe in the first place Henry wouldn't have been kidnapped' the blonde had said. And don't even mention the two idiots, who were – Regina hadn't known it to be possible – even more infuriating than she already thought them to be. They were doing everything, literally _everything_ together. Cooking dinner, sweeping the deck, doing laundry, everything…And she herself? She did nothing. No that's not true, there was one thing that she was doing, and that was staying as far away from the water as possible. Even now, now she was looking out over the water she was doing that from below deck through one of the port-holes.

She sighed, she had stayed down here for long enough, it was time to make her presence known upstairs again and so she slowly made her way up the stairs, immediately being met by Emma and her rude comments.

"Oh look, her majesty finally decided to show up too. Maybe she could help out a little with all the chores, your _highness_." Emma sneered.

Regina just rolled her eyes. "Why would I do that when you're doing such a great job already, dear. I wouldn't know how to act like a complete fool, but you're clearly cut out to do the more….lower class activities in life…."

"It's just water Regina. All you have to do is mob the deck with water, sea water yes, but still water." David now said.

Regina shook her head. "I prefer to keep my hands clean, and as I said, you all seem to do a marvelous job without me."

"Jesus Regina, I understand that you're worried about Henry, but we all are okay? And none of us is acting us insufferable as you are right now!" Emma burst out in anger, and that anger grew only when Regina's only response was an arched eyebrow.

A low growl emerged from Emma's throat and in an angry move she threw a wet sponge that had a trail of water flowing after it Regina's way. Regina shrieked in panic as she practically fell down the stairs that led to the lower deck and rolled away on her back to also avoid contact with the drops falling from the sponge. "Miss Swan! What the hell do you think you're doing!" She barked in a voice filled with rage as she got up from the floor again. She contemplated whether she would walk over to the blonde but as she saw the bucket filled with water standing next to the blonde she decided to stay put and just wait for the woman to answer her.

The blonde however stared dumbfounded at the former queen, trying to process what she had just witnessed, as did the other people present for that matter. "Uh..I'm sorry? It's just…water?" Emma said eventually.

An irritated huff escaped from Regina's lips at this ignorant comment. "Well that is precisely where you are wrong Miss Swan. This is most definitely _not __just _water! Now if you'll excuse me I'm going back to my room again, where I'm shielded from the ignorance of the Charming family." And with that the woman turned on her heels and walked back to where she'd just come from.

"What is wrong with her? I mean, she has some weird habits, but this was just down right crazy!" Emma exclaimed in confusion looking at the others. She saw both her parents didn't have a clue whatsoever either, Gold's face was unreadable as usual but in Hook Emma found some sort of an answer. His eyebrows had moved together in a frown and in his blue eyes he saw a worry that changed in anger when his eyes met hers.

"Why don't you just mind your own business love, and let the queen behave in the way she wants." Was all he said.

Emma huffed as she moved her attention back to her sponge. It was just water…or was it?

**Soooo tell me what you think :D! I'm very curious to know how you feel about this first chapter ****!**

**What's the deal with Regina and this water hm? :)**

**X**

**Metope**

**Image of this story by G_deGold**


	2. Chapter 2

**II**

* * *

"Well how about that. We meet again!"

Regina quickly turned around at the sound of the familiar voice she heard behind her. Her eyes sparkled as soon as she recognized who was now standing in front of her. "Well if it isn't our beloved Captain Hook." She said, "Long time no see."

"Well, I'm a pirate. Always busy." The man smiled as he walked over to Regina. It had been about three years since the last time that he had seen her, five years since the first time they had met. Had it been a girl who had thrown him into the lake that first time, she was a woman now. She had become even more beautiful since the last time he had seen her. Although her eyes seemed to have lost a little of that fighting spirit he had seen in those brown orbs the first time. And after five years he had still no idea of who she was.

"Busy stealing gold from other people, I assume?" She teased as she set a step in his direction, bringing their faces close to one another.

"Among other things, yes." He said with a smile as he brushed a streak of hair out of her face. She didn't jerk away at his touch, too determined to not let him show how he was confusing her and making it hard for her to think when he was this close to her.

"You've become even more beautiful since the last time I saw you." He said softly and he smiled as he saw how she blushed just a little.

"You still don't look so bad yourself either." She remarked. "As a matter of fact, it seems as if you haven't changed at all since the first time we met, and that's five years ago. How is that possible?" She asked while she looked at him with curiosity.

Hook shrugged. "That's for me to know and for you to ask, love." He said with a grin and then went to sit down under a nearby tree. He patted on the grass next to him as to invite her to join him. "Want to talk a little, or do you have more pressing matters to occupy yourself with?"

She shook her head. "No, talking sounds good." She said as she brushed imaginary dust off of her dark brown riding coat in order to appear not to eager and then went to sit next to him. He studied her face, the make-up she wore was darker from what he remembered her to wear; thick dark eyelashes accented her brown eyes, and her lips were painted a deep red.

"Last time I checked, talking involved speaking, not staring at someone for so long that it becomes rude."

The captain shook his head. "I just noticed how you seem to have chosen a…darker type of make-up to wear. I wondered why that is?" He regretted his question when he saw her face sadden for just a moment.

"Tell me Captain, do you consider yourself…_evil_?" She then asked, and by the way she looked at him with a mixture of hope and fear in her eyes, he knew she wasn't joking, she really wanted him to answer this question truthfully.

Slowly he shook his head. "No, I don't consider myself to be evil. I do bad things, _evil_ things sometimes, that's true. But does that make _me_ evil? I have a reason for the things that I do, I don't just do them because I'm bored, or because it entertains me. It's all for the greater good."

Regina sighed. "I sometimes feel like the darkness takes over, I try to fight it, but it's easier to just let it happen…" Her voice trailed off and Hook frowned, he didn't exactly understand what she meant. In their past meetings they had done as much as avoiding this subject. He didn't ask her who she was and how she had learned to use magic, and she didn't ask him where he came from or what he was doing here. Today however it seemed that the young woman was throwing all these silent agreements aside.

He studied her face and saw how her eyes were glassy as she stared into nowhere. He didn't like seeing her like this, she seemed vulnerable and broken, nothing like the fierce and young woman he had met the first time. Maybe he should give her some answers, maybe that would cheer her up a little.

"Do you still want to know how I can be this good looking after five years?" He therefore asked with a smirk.

She chuckled. "No, I never wanted to know that in the first place."

Hook frowned. "But you said…"

" – I said, " she interrupted him. " that I wanted to know how it can be that you haven't _changed_ in five years' time at all. I never said you were still good looking."

Hook opened his mouth, closed it again, and then finally let out a genuine laugh. "Alright, alright. Then, do you want to know how I stayed _the same_ after five years?" He rephrased his question.

"Depends, is it a good story?"

"You'll only be able to tell after you've heard it, now won't you love?"

"Then, I'm wondering why you haven't started telling me the story yet." She quipped, he chuckled, he loved this constant battering between them.

"Well,", He started. "As a matter of fact…I'm much older than you give me credit for."

"How old are you then?"

He shrugged. "I lost track of it, I stopped counting after I had passed the 150 years mark." He grinned contently when he heard a soft gasp.

"You're joking, that can't be true."

"O but it is. You see, I have spent the larger part of my life in another land than the Enchanted Forest, a land where time is frozen, and no one grows older."

"Because of magic?" The young woman asked but the pirate shook his head. "I don't really know what causes it, but I don't think it is magic. That is…_people_ don't have magic there."

"But other..creatures do then?" Regina asked, picking up on how he stretched the word people.

The pirate nodded. "There are fairies there that do, and I'm fairly sure the mermaids have some sort of magic too, although they try to hide that from the world."

Regina laughed. "Mermaids? Mermaids don't exist, everyone knows stories about mermaids are just tales of drunken pirates, no offense."

"Well, for as far as I know it's impossible to freeze time and not grow older either, and yet here I am."

"O but that I knew already. I know someone else who doesn't age either, he must be over two hundred years old by now already." Regina said, forgetting that she was supposed to appear unimpressed in this game of teasing they were playing, as she was too curious to find out more about this foreign land.

"Oh really? And how is that if I might ask." For as far as Hook knew the only other man in this world that was as old as he, probably older, was Rumpelstiltskin, and surely Regina couldn't mean him, what business had a woman like her have to do with that crocodile?

"I can't tell you. I would have told you if I could, but I can't" She said, Hook nodded, respecting that answer as he saw she meant it. He found it intriguing how the brunette next to him had changed from a woman into a girl again in mere seconds. Her eyes were big and round and he saw the excitement that his story brought her swirling in her eyes. She was curious and eager to learn, and she had clearly forgotten about the mask she had taught herself to wear to others in the moment.

"Well believe it or not, but mermaids do exist." Hook continued his story. "However, they're nothing like they are in the tales told by the men here."

"They're not?"

The captain shook his head. "They're only right about one thing; their beauty is indeed breath taking, but that's where the truth about them ends. They're vicious creatures, fixated on drowning the men who come too close."

Regina gasped. "Why would they do that? What do they get out of drowning men?"

"It's complicated, love."

Regina waited for the pirate to elaborate on the matter but when she was met by silence she huffed "That's it?" She asked. "You're not going to explain more to me?"

The man shook his head. "Neverland knows many secrets, it's simply too much to explain all of it right now."

"Neverland…" Regina repeated the name. "I like the sound of that."

"Well believe me, there's not much likable about the land at all." Hook said in a bitter voice.

"You don't like it there?"

"It's not my favourite place in the world, no."

"That's why you're here now?"

The pirate nodded. "But you'll have to go back?" He nodded again.

"Why?"

The man let out an irritated huff. "Must you ask so many questions?"

"Well I'm sorry. I just don't understand why you would go back to a land that you hate and where mermaids try to drown you. Surely you're not that narcissistic that you only go there so you won't grow old?" Regina asked insulted, and Hook noticed how the walls had gone back up, her mask was back in place, and how the girl was hidden behind the fierce woman again.

"No of course not." He snapped back.

"Then why do you go back?"

"That's none of your business."

"Fine." She said shortly and she got up from the grass and walked back to her horse. "I think this conversation is over now."

"I think so too."

When she had mounted her horse she looked back at him with anger in her eyes, and for a moment Hook thought there to be a hint of hurt too. "Have fun in your Everland, or whatever it was called, where no one grows up. It suits you now I come to think of it, you can be the child you are there without anyone disapproving of it." And with that she left, leaving the pirate behind, who hadn't been able to come up with a snarky remark to throw back at her soon enough.

A low growl emerged from his throat as he got up from under the tree. "Women…"

* * *

She thought he didn't see her looking at them, but of course he did. Snow had just raised two buckets of fairly clean sea water up to the ship which were their provisional shower for the day. They would probably reach land tomorrow but Snow said she couldn't stay 'dirty' for even a second longer. He had told her that if she wanted to wash herself she could use the sea water, it might be salty but the water was clean and bright, so it would have to do.

And so they were now all standing around the two buckets of water and one sponge, Emma, Snow, Charming and Gold. And Regina, Regina was observing the small group of people from the upper deck, where she had wrapped herself in a blanket to protect herself from the cold and strong wind.

Her behaviour of yesterday had made the pirate think. He had a theory as to why she had reacted so strangely when Emma had thrown the sponge, but he honestly didn't think he was right, or rather, he _hoped_ he wasn't right. However, there was only one way to find out and so he left the steering wheel and made his way over to her.

"You don't feel like freshening yourself up a little?" He asked.

She shook her head. "I'd rather stay like this than that I would let my skin be touched by that water. The salt will ruin my skin." He knew it was a lie.

"If you say so, love."

She now moved her head away from the group with an abrupt move to look at him. "What's that supposed to mean?" She snapped.

"Nothing, just that…if that's truly the reason why you don't want to touch the water, that's fine with me."

She narrowed her eyes and her lips formed a thin line. "I don't like what you are insinuating, Captain. Don't get yourself things in your head that aren't there."

"I'm insinuating nothing, nothing at all."

"Good." She replied. "I'm just not taking any risks, that's all." She added to that, and by the smirk that appeared on the Captain's lips she knew she had told him too much. She opened her mouth to say something as to cover up her mistake, but stopped when she saw the pirate turn around and descend the stairs that led to below deck.

She sighed. He knew. Or actually he knew nothing, because she didn't even know for sure herself. _She_ only knew that she was not going to take the risk. If it _did_ happen, then that would only add a problem to the immense pile of disasters they already had to solve. Being careful here wasn't a necessary evil.

She was pulled out of her thoughts when she heard the clicking of the heels of the captain's boots approaching her. In his hands he held a barrel that he placed next to her.

"Here." He said. "It's water from our land. It was meant for us to drink, but since we will probably reach land tomorrow we can miss this one."

She studied his face to see if he was speaking the truth or was trying to pull a horrible joke on her, but when she saw the genuine concern in his eyes, she rewarded his offer with a small but genuine smile. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He said and then walked away from her back to the steering wheel.

"Hook.." She called after him, he turned around but didn't give her the chance to speak. "I know, I know, you're just not taking any risks, the salt is bad for your skin. Got it." He said in a smirk and turned back around again.

Regina's call for the pirate had drawn the attention to the other 'adventurers' to her. "No way!" Emma yelled. "Hook, what the hell? Did you just give her our drinking water to wash herself with?"

Hook shrugged. "What can I say, she's a queen after all, love, unlike you."

Regina smirked when she saw how Emma's eyes darkened with anger at the comment.

"Not all of us care so little about their appearance as you do Miss Swan. I care for my body, and my skin needs to be treated with more delicacy than assaulting it with filthy sea water." Regina sneered, unable to let the opportunity to get on the blonde's nerves slip.

Emma however grumbled something that Regina could not hear in response and focused her attention back to what she had been doing. "I swear, I'm going to find out why she's so afraid of this water here. The woman is crazy." She grumbled.

"You might want to be careful with that Miss Swan." Gold now said.

"Oh, and why is that? The woman is acting like the freaking Queen of Sheba and I'm sick of it!"

"It's just a warning dearie, just a warning." The imp said with a smirk. He too had tried to figure out what had caused Regina's odd behaviour. And digging into his memory, through all he had learned about Neverland in the hundreds of years of his existence had brought him to only one possibility. And if that was in fact why Regina was behaving this strangely, they were in for quite a journey…

* * *

**Dum dum duuummm**

**Wow, I'm overwhelmed by all the positive comments and reviews on this story :D Really motivates me to continue writing and so you're all rewarded with this second chapter. I hope you liked it :D. I promise, it will be either the next chapter or the one after that in which you'll find out what Regina's deal is (although some of you might have a theory already after this chapter..if so..please tell me in the reviews, I'd love to hear them :P)**

**Reviews make me happy so please write them for me ****!**

**x**

**Metope**

******Image of this story by G_deGold**


	3. Chapter 3

**III**

* * *

She closed her eyes as she leaned her head back against the wall of her room sitting on her bed and took a deep breath. She didn't know for how long she would be able to do this, if only they would reach land soon. Hook had said it would only be one day more, 24 hours, she could do that, she had to...for Henry.

A soft knocking on the door pulled her out of her thoughts, and before she could even tell whoever it was to go away the door opened already and Hook entered the room.

"I can't remember to have said you could enter."

The pirate shrugged. "This is my ship, I can go wherever I want."

"Did you just come here to proof that, or is there something else you wanted to talk about?" She didn't feel like playing along in their game of constant bantering today.

Hook sighed as he set a few more steps in the room. "Look love, I know things are tense at the moment. You're worried about Henry, about the Lost Boys, about Peter Pan and you're stuck on a ship with your arch enemy. I know this is not the moment to talk about the...water-problem, so I won't, but it might be good for the love of everything if you tried to be a little bit nicer to the Swan girl. We have to work together and this constant arguing between you two will do no good."

Regina got up from her bed now so she was facing the pirate. "_I_ have to be nicer? She has been nothing but horrible to _me_ since we've been on this ship. And there is _no_, I repeat _no_ water problem. As I said, the water is just – " Her words got caught in her throat when she felt his hands rest on her shoulders. He hadn't touched her in years, _decades_, and she had forgotten how it felt...how _good_ it felt.

"– I know. The water is bad for your skin." The pirate interrupted her as he sent her a reassuring smile and softly squeezed her shoulders. "It's okay Regina. We don't have to do this now. You focus on getting your son back first." He paused as to leave room for Regina to reply. And as much as she wanted to yell at him that there was nothing for them 'to do' together, that there was nothing else she had to focus on besides Henry, she simply couldn't. Because even if she would say the words they both knew it would all be a lie. And so Hook let go of her shoulders, –she instantly missed him – and walked back to the door to leave the room again. In the doorway he turned around once more. "But please Regina, try to fix things between you and Emma. We both know how stubborn the woman can be, and I wouldn't want to see things end badly." And with that he left.

She couldn't help but smile wryly when he had left. He was so right about everything, and she hadn't even had to tell him. There was a problem indeed, and everything between them was complicated indeed. She sighed, why was that? Why did it all have to be so complicated? First Leopold, then Rumpelstiltskin, mermaids, then her mother and now the two idiots and her daughter, they were all standing in their way, preventing them from having a moment to talk things out, to think about things.

Fighting with Emma wouldn't help things though, he was right about that too. She didn't really know or understand how it happened; One moment they were working together, preventing the fail safe from destroying the town, and the next they were back to their usual fighting. With a sigh she left her room and made her way upstairs. She saw Emma sitting next to her idiotic parents on the lower deck.

"Miss Swan!" She called the woman's name, and when the blonde looked up she continued. "Could you come here for a second so we can talk...please?" She added the formality to her question as to show the saviour she was serious about this.

She saw how the blonde shared a confused look with the two idiots but then indeed got up and walked over to where she was standing. Regina turned around and made her way below deck again and back into her room where she waited for Emma to catch up with her.

It didn't take long for blonde locks to appear in her doorway. "What's up Regina?" The sheriff asked, hands tucked in her pockets as she leaned against the doorway.

Regina turned around to the blonde so she was now facing her and sighed. H_ere goes nothing_, you can do this Regina, just like Archie taught you, look the other person in the eyes, lose the hostile position and speak in a sincere voice. And so she searched for Emma's green eyes and when she met them she opened her mouth to speak. "I – I wanted to apologize, Miss Swan. I haven't been exactly nice to you these past days, it is mostly because I'm worried for Henry, as are you. It's better for everyone if we work together and so...I will do my best to be nicer to you." There, she had said it.

She almost ruined her great apology when she looked into Emma's eyes and saw so much amazement and confusion there that she almost started laughing. Luckily the blonde seemed to snap out of whatever state of shock she was in and shook her head. "That's...that's okay Regina. I haven't exactly been nice to you either. It's because of Henry, as you said. And we have been on this ship for so long now, and it's only the six of us, and I feel angry and worried all the time. I can't really take out my frustration on my parents, because they are my parents and they didn't really do anything, Hook is...well, he is Hook, and I would have to be very stupid to go up against Gold, so..."

"So that made me the perfect scapegoat. How surprising." Regina finished Emma's rambling in a sarcastic voice.

Emma, realising how insulting this sounded to Regina started to shake her head. "No, no that's not what I meant! I don't mean to justify how I was to you, it's just, to explain why it was you and not.."

"And not your perfect _good_ parents, or the charming pirate – oh the irony there –, or Rumpelstiltskin. Because even though that imp did things far worse than what I have ever done in my entire life, everyone seems to be able to forgive him for everything. So I completely understand, Miss Swan. If I were you – God forbid that ever happening – I would have chosen the town pariah to take out my frustration on as well. Very noble of you. But, oh, that's the funny thing about the Charming family, they get to be hypocrite and all things normally considered evil or bad, without being judged. How could I have forgotten that." Regina knew she had completely ruined her apology with this, but she just couldn't help it. She was so sick of being pointed at by everyone as the source of their misery. She was sick of being used.

"Well I'm sorry but it isn't like you didn't make yourself an easy target with your diva-like behaviour!" Emma now said angrily.

"I have no idea what you mean."

"O come on, Regina. You know perfectly well what I mean! The thing with the water, the fact that you don't want to help cleaning the ship. How you lock yourself away in this room for the most of the day every day again!"

"That is none of your business."

"It is if your behaviour is effecting me!" Emma now practically yelled. "I'm done with this Regina." And with that the blonde turned around ready to storm out. Just before she followed up that plan however she turned around again. "And know that I'm going to find out what you're hiding, Regina, one way or the other I will find out!"

"Well good luck with that dear." Regina growled. "Now quick, quick, continue running off to tell your parents how evil and insufferable I have been to you now again."

"I will." Emma said in response and with that she left.

* * *

_**In fairy tale land**_

This would be his last visit to the Enchanted Forest in a while, and with a while he meant at least two decades. He was walking through the forest. It was now the forest of the Evil Queen, or so he believed the Queen was called by the people. He had never met her, not when the King still lived, and not now. He didn't even know what she looked like or what her name was, he couldn't really care about that either. There was only one woman in this land that he cared for. That woman had been Milah for a long time, but lately that seemed to have changed. When he thought about this land now it wasn't her face anymore that appeared in his head. It was the face of the mysterious woman he always seemed to run into one way or another when he had business to do here.

However, now he was on his way back to the ship and he hadn't seen her, to his surprise he felt that he was disappointed about that. Caught up in his thoughts he wasn't paying attention to where he was going and so he was surprised to find himself being back to the place he had first met the woman – still a girl then – when he looked up.

Everything seemed to still be the same, even after ten years. The lake was still as bright and beautiful as it had been, the grass still green, the trees as big as he remembered them to be. However, this time there was no young woman. A shame, the pirate thought, he would have loved to see her one more time. Just as he thought this he heard the sound of a horse approaching him. Quickly he hid behind a tree and watched to his delight how the woman he had just been thinking about reached the lake and jumped off of her horse. However, she didn't look as innocent and fierce as the first time he had met her.

She was wearing a long dark red velvet riding coat that reached to the floor. A black corset royally showed her décolleté, black leather pants tightly clung to her legs and her long hair wasn't flowing freely down her back like it usually did but was up in a complicated hairdo and partly tucked under the large black hat with red feathers she was wearing. Her make-up was dark, even darker than the last time he had seen her, dark red lips and black eyes stared out over the water and all he could see was a great sentiment of discontent, hurt and loneliness.

In the pirate's study of the woman he set a step closer to her to take a better look, however in the process a few leafs crushed under his boot. The head of the woman immediately snapped into his direction and with a wave of her hand he felt how magic took control over his body and he was levitated and moved forward, away from the trees into the open place in the woods.

"Ah, it's the pirate who's spying on me. How surprising and...nostalgic that it is once again in this particular place that I catch you and that you're once again helpless against me." She says in a cold and mocking tone. It takes him off guard how different she sounds from their usual interactions.

"Lost your voice, Hook?"

He shook his head. "I wasn't spying on you. I simply didn't know who you were so I was, cautious..."

The woman smirked as she let her hand fall down her body again and with that he felt how he was lowered to the ground and released from the grasp of her magic.

"You look...different." He said awkwardly, it earned him an evil smile in return as she strode towards him. "Maybe that's because I _am_ different." She said, and with a flick of her wrist he felt how his hook disappeared from his left arm and reappeared in her hand.

She smirked at his confusion and pulled him towards her using the hook. Their faces were now only mere inches apart, he could feel her warm breath on his face, as she could his. "What brings you here, pirate. To the place where it all began?" She asked in a low seducing voice.

"I'm on my way back to my ship, just as I was then." He replied, determined to not let her bring him off guard.

"Ah, I see..." She let her voice trail of and then raked her eyes over his body, followed by an approving hum. "It's been years since the last time we saw each other...yet you look as handsome as you did then."

"So you _did_ think I was good looking, back then, when you asked me how all of this worked." The pirate couldn't help but smirk at the queen's admission.

"Oh, only a fool would think you're not." She simply replied, his hook still hooked in his clothes.

"Can I have my hook back please?" He now asked and he was almost afraid of her answer when he saw a familiar sparkle appear in her eyes.

"No.." She simply said. "Not unless you do something for me in return."

"And what would that be?"

"Kiss me." She simply said, her eyes sparkling with amusement as she saw the confused look on his face.

"Don't be ridiculous."

"I'm not. It's very simple. No kiss, no hook. It's up to you."

"But –"

She shook her head, irritation slightly visible on her face now. "Don't tell me you don't want it, pirate. I've seen you looking at me. You've wanted to kiss me and do god knows what else to me since the first time we met. I must say it's quite impressive how you've been able to control yourself for this long and – "

He silenced her by pressing their lips together and as his hands found the back of her neck he pressed her further into him. He kissed her firm yet gentle, and when his tongue caressed her bottom lip he felt how she willingly parted her lips to give him further entrance.

She was still holding his hook in her right hand, the metal pressing into their bodies when he had pulled her into him, her hat had fallen from her head in the process but she didn't care. Her other hand was hanging limply at the side of her body, his kiss making her feel so weak that she couldn't bring herself to move. He kissed her with so much force and passion and dare she say it _love_... as if this was a goodbye...and suddenly she realised it could very well be just that.

When he felt something warm and wet land on his cheek he parted their lips and breathed in the much needed fresh air. When he looked at her he noticed that she was crying, which left not much of the cold and fierce sorceress that had been standing in front of him only moments before.

He saw how she quickly brushed the tears away and looked to her feet. "You're leaving." She then said, she tried her voice to stay even but he could hear the emotion in it.

"Don't I always leave?" He said, trying to lighten the mood and he set a step forward to touch her again, he missed the feeling of her soft lips and warm body pressed against him already. She turned away from him though so that she was out of his reach. "You know what I mean." She replied.

He sighed. "Yes. Yes I'm leaving. This will be my last visit for a while."

"How long is a while?"

"At least ten or twenty years."

A sob escaped her lips. She hated herself for it but at the same time she couldn't care less. She was so tired of it all. She was tired of constantly holding up the façade of the cold hearted evil queen, tired of being angry, tired of evil, tired of being someone she didn't want to be. And with Hook, she could be herself. He didn't know who she was, even now she was sure he didn't know. And when he had kissed her, she had felt it. She had felt how he accepted her for who she was. She had felt how he had bought none of the way she had acted moments before, how he had seen right past her walls and her mask, how he had looked into her soul and had seen her true feelings there, the ones she tried to burry so badly. And in that moment she knew that he would be her ticket out of here. She didn't care if he even actually felt something for her, hell she didn't even know what it was that she was feeling herself, but it didn't matter.

She looked back up to him into his blue eyes, he saw tears shine in her brown orbs. "Take me with you?" She asked in a broken voice and when he didn't reply right away she repeated her question. "Please, take me with you. I want to go with you to Neverland, away from here."

Hook shook his head. "You don't know what it's like there. And, don't you have your life here?"

"I don't _want_ my life here, I never did. I'm so tired of it all. The darkness, the magic, the loneliness. You have to help me escape from it." She said with more force as she set a step into his direction.

"No, I can't do that. I – I don't even know who you are. I don't even know your _name_!" He said as he too walked closer to her.

She put her hands on his chest and, as he now was taller than she, tilted her head slightly so she could look him in the eyes. "I will tell you everything, I will explain everything to you if you take me with you. Once we're out of here I will tell. I will tell you my name, I will tell you who I am, how I learned magic, I will tell you everything, and you will have to tell me your story too."

How could he say no to such pleading brown eyes and such an honest promise? He couldn't, and so he slowly nodded. "You promise you'll tell me everything?" He asked.

"I promise. _Everything_." She emphasized.

He smiled. "Then it would be best for you to find a new home for your horse, because a ship is no place for animals, love." He said. She smiled back at him, and before he knew it he pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead, happy to see how he had been able to bring back a little happiness in her eyes.

* * *

**Ze feeeeeeels! Also, I know I promised we would find out about the water-thingy this chapter. But as this chapter would become way too long if I'd do that, you're all still in the dark. However, I promise, next chapter you'll know. If not, let Rumpelstiltskin turn me into a toad. **

**Well my dears, reviews make me happy, so please leave one before you continue with your life :D?**

**x**

**Metope**

******Image of this story by G_deGold**


	4. Chapter 4

**IV**

* * *

He was having a harder time staying awake than he usually did. He had the first watch, and that meant he would have to stay awake for at least two more hours. The constant fighting in the group was taking its toll, that much was clear. He sighed.

"What a deep sigh that is, Captain." He heard her voice behind him.

"It isn't your time to be awake yet." Was all he said as she joined him leaning on the railing next to him. She didn't reply to that, just stared out over the calm water. He did the same.

"We'll arrive in the morning." He then said, and she nodded. He heard her take in a deep breath.

"It's not because it's bad for my skin..." She then said. "The water." She elaborated. "That's not why I don't want to touch it."

"I know." He simply said. He knew it was what she had wanted to hear when he heard how she slowly released her breath again.

"I just – I wasn't sure...and I don't want that to happen to me again..." She struggled with the right way to explain her feelings to him, very unlike her, he thought.

He gently put his hand on hers, and then turned to face her. A smile appeared on his face when he saw how beautifully she looked in the moonlight. No make-up, her hair slightly dishevelled and lightly blowing in the soft wind along with her night gown. Her dark eyes looked up at him with both hope and fear.

"We don't have to address this...everything...right now, love. Just know that I will protect you, I won't let that happen to you again. First we have to find that son of yours."

She nodded and he saw tears in her eyes appear when he mentioned Henry. "Come here. Regina Mills doesn't cry, now does she?" He said as he pulled her in to him.

She laughed. "I'm not crying." She countered, however her unsteady voice and the way she buried her face in his chest betrayed her.

"He's never been alone for so long." She said. "What if something happened to him already?"

"He's a tough boy. You raised him well, love. He'll manage to keep himself standing until we'll arrive. I'm sure of it."

When she had calmed down a little he pulled away from her. "Now, go get some sleep. You'll need your strength when we arrive tomorrow."

He had expected her to protest, but she just nodded. "Thank you...Killian." She then said and turned around to walk back. He smiled as he watched her. That had been the first time in a while that she had called him by his first name without it being filled with venom.

* * *

_**Neverland – past**_

Not ever had she been at sea this long, nor had she experienced the fact that there was no land to be seen wherever she would look. She loved it. She felt incredibly free. This was her third day in Neverland, they hadn't talked about their pasts yet. There hadn't really been a moment for it yet. Hook seemed to have his hands full with convincing his crew to leave her alone. She had been afraid that maybe one of them knew who she was, but even if they did no one seemed to have told the Captain yet.

She was leaning on the railing when she saw the Captain coming her way. "How about we talk a little tonight?" He asked, as if he had known what she had just been thinking about. She nodded in response.

* * *

"So..." Regina started as she sat down next to Hook on the upper deck. He had explained to her how there always had to be someone awake to watch the ship. Neverland was a dangerous place.

"So..." Hook repeated her.

Regina sighed. She found it difficult where to start. She didn't want to tell him who she was right away. Once she would have spoken the words Evil Queen he probably wouldn't want to have anything to do with her anymore. Best to leave that for last. "I could tell you how I learned magic?" She offered instead.

He nodded in agreement. "I guess that's a start indeed, love."

"I initially wanted to learn magic so that I could bring someone back from the death..." She said her cheeks flushing red at the admission, how foolish had she been back then. "At the time I thought magic could do that." She debated whether she should tell him about Daniel, but eventually she decided that it would be best to be as open to him as possible, maybe he would understand her better later, when he would know who she really was. And so she told him about her stable boy and how her mother had killed him. She effectively let out the name of Snow and the fact that the nobleman she had to marry was in fact the King. It didn't really matter for her story who he was, it just mattered that he wasn't Daniel, and that he had been thrice her age.

"I asked daddy how my mother could have become the way she was, and he told me she had been taught magic by a man. So at night I went over to my parents' room and retrieved the book I knew she learned her magic from, form under her pillow. As I had hoped the name of the man that taught her all she knew about magic was written in the book. I summoned him, and...he was willing to help me to...deal... with my mother, and after that he stayed around to teach me magic." She was grateful for how Hook had not interrupted her once, instead he had just been listening to her, no judgement on his face at any point, and so she dared to continue.

"I wanted to use magic for good things. However...that didn't work out. I was miserable in my new life, it turned out that magic could not bring back Daniel and..._he_, he wasn't really about the good kind of magic either. Dark magic is more his thing...When we started these lessons I was quite afraid of him. He looked so odd, with that golden-green skin, and these big eyes. And he had such an odd name, I found it hard to pronounce it at first."

At this Hook suddenly got up and walked a few steps away, his back towards her. "Hook?" She asked.

She called him again when he didn't react and then suddenly he turned around to face her again. She was taken aback by the anger in his eyes.

"The Crocodile?!" He yelled. "You learned magic from Rumpelstiltskin!?"

She looked at him with big round eyes, for a moment she didn't know what to do, but then she remembered who she was. She was the Evil Queen for heaven's sake, and magic or no magic, this was not how people should speak to her. Quickly she too got up from the floor and walked up to him. "I don't know where this sudden hostility is coming from, pirate. But I do not tolerate this kind of behaviour towards me." She said in a low voice.

"You worked together with the imp." He growled.

She shook her head. "Yes I did. And if I could go back in time I would do it again. It might have darkened my soul but it also brought me power, power and in a way freedom, more freedom than I would have had without it!"

"That man is a monster! Who are you to work with him!"

"Who are _you_ to judge me! What is your problem with the imp anyways. You're not even from my land!" She yelled back at him.

"That man is my arch enemy! I have sworn to kill him! Our history goes back hundreds of years! That man killed the woman I loved, he has to pay for that, and you have worked together with _him_!" The pirate yelled in anger.

His words wounded her. For a moment she had thought he was angry with her because he was worried for her safety, that he cared for her. But no. He didn't love her. He had loved this woman he had been talking about, the one that Rumpel had apparently killed. And as much as she didn't want to admit it, it hurt. It hurt that he loved someone else. She knew it was hypocrite, as she still loved Daniel, but in that moment that didn't make the pain any less.

She turned around abruptly and walked away from the pirate. "Where are you going? We weren't done talking, you haven't told me who you are yet!" He yelled after her.

"Oh, we are done talking pirate." She yelled without looking back. "We will continue this only and _if_ you know how to behave yourself."

Hook shook his head. He shouldn't have started about Milah. He had seen it in her eyes the moment he talked about her. They had saddened considerably. Normally he wasn't this good at figuring out what it was that women felt, but with her it was different. He could see every emotion she felt in her eyes. Just looking at her would tell him. And that moment had told him that he had made a mistake.

He had to go after her, make up for this. Apologize to her and so he followed her to the other end of the deck.

When she heard him coming she turned around. "Stay away, pirate. I prefer to be alone." She said bluntly. He didn't listen and continued to approach her and it made her even angrier. "Go away!" She roared, and oh, how she wished she had her magic in that moment. Desperate times called for desperate matters, and in absence of anything better she gave a good kick to the bucket that was standing in front of her, aiming it to hit the pirate.

However, as she kicked the bucket too low it didn't fly the pirate's way but fell over her way instead, the seawater poring over her foot and leg. She let out a cry of frustration and turned red as she heard the pirate's laughter.

However his laughter subsided when he saw how a bright white light started to envelop her one leg, and then the other. The light quickly spread to her entire body, making it impossible for him to look at her as the light was simply to bright. The last thing he saw of her were her brown eyes that looked at him, and all he could see in them was utter panic and fear.

When he lowered his hands from his eyes again as the light had seemed to have subsided all he could do is gasp at what he saw in front of him.

"What did you do to me!" He heard her scream of panic. "What happened! What did you do! Turn me back!"

"I–" He stammered. "I don't understand..."

"How can you not understand! You DID this to me!"

"I thought they were just tales..."

"So you did know about this! You– You know who I am don't you!? This was all a trick to get me trapped! You betrayed me!" She screamed, he noticed how her breathing quickened and became heavier at the same time. "You – You are...not...I...hate you..." She breathed and when he walked over to her and took her in his arms, "No...what are you doing...don't you dare...I...not..."

"You have to get into the water; you can't have no contact with it for that long." Was all he said, trying to net let the panic be audible in his voice. And so he walked over to one of the row-boats and went to sit in it with her, after which he started to lower them down.

She was too weak to protest now, she was just lying against him, breathing heavily while he was trying to get them to the water as fast as possible. In the distance he could already see them, they were coming to get her.

* * *

_**Neverland – Present day**_

"Where is Regina?" Emma asked when she appeared on deck and saw everyone present except for the brunette.

"Still sleeping. She had the last shift remember love? Although remembering will be difficult considering the colour of your hair."

The blonde decided to simply ignore that insult as she made her way over to her parents. "Today I'm so going to find out what Regina has against water." She declared in a determined voice.

"Emma, please be careful. Maybe there's a reason for her behaviour." Snow said.

"Does Regina ever _not_ have a reason for her behaviour? The question, however is whether it's a _good_ reason, because of those she seems to have rather little."

Gold snorted. "Just be careful miss Swan. We wouldn't want to create more problems than we already have now would we?"

Emma shook her head. "I won't do anything rash, just going to trigger a little to finally tell us." And with that she started to walk to the pile of ropes that was on the left of the ship and started to rearrange them. She had thought this through more than she had ever thought anything through, this would work. She was just done with her work when Regina appeared.

"Regina!" She called to the brunette. Emma almost changed her plans when she saw how tired and broken the former mayor was looking.

"Yes Miss Swan, what did I do now? Did I walk up the stairs too passively for your tasting?"

The blonde shook her head. "No, that's not it. Could you just come over here so we can talk?"

The brunette sighed audibly but then did make her way over to the sheriff. "You want to apologize for your rude behaviour of yesterday I take it?"

Emma shook her head in annoyance. "You're unbelievable." She murmured.

"What was that dear? Don't mumble, it's very unbecoming."

"Look. Regina. I'm going to ask you this only one more time." Emma then said in a firm voice as she stared intently at the woman in front of her. "Why are you afraid of the water?"

"I'm not afraid of the water." The brunette simply answered.

"That's not true and you know it. You don't even want to be near to it. What's so horrible about this water?"

"As I said, it's bad for my skin, and I thought you were only going to ask me once?"

"That's bull Regina and you know it!"

"No, you specifically said: 'I'm going to ask you this only one more time.'" Regina said, imitating Emma's voice, which brought her a frustrated sigh from the blonde.

"Suit yourself." Emma growled angry, she grabbed the rope that was hanging next to the mast and started to pull. Before Regina knew what was happening she felt how the pile of ropes she had been standing in with one foot was quickly closing around her ankle and suddenly she was hanging upside down above the water. She let out a yelp of shock, causing to fix everyone's attention on her.

"Miss Swan, put me down THIS INSTANT!" She bellowed.

The others all came running towards Emma. "Emma, put her down!" Hook said in an angry voice. But Emma shook her head. "Not before she has told us why she doesn't want to touch the water."

"Miss Swan, you might want to listen to the pirate for this one time." Gold said calmly.

Regina was angrily hanging upside down above the sea surface, trying to reach her ankle and grab the rope but with no luck.

"When I'm back on board you're so going to get it Miss Swan." She roared.

"Oh well maybe I should let you hang there then." Emma said in an evil voice. "Or even better, maybe I should submerge you in the water first." And as she said this she lowered Regina down just a little.

"NO!" Both Hook and Regina yelled in unison. At this Emma turned around to look at Hook. "You know why she's afraid of the water too, don't you?"

"It doesn't matter." The pirate said, anger swirling in his eyes. "Just get her back here."

"Emma, honey. When you said that you wouldn't do anything rash, did you even know what that meant?" Snow now asked carefully yet in a stern voice.

"I'll leave her be once I know what you two are hiding." Emma said. "So either you or Regina can tell me, or I'll find out myself." And to demonstrate that the sheriff was serious about this she lowered Regina even more.

"Fine, fine!" Hook yelled. "I will tell you."

"No, Hook don't you dare telling her!" Regina yelled from where she was hanging. Her head now only two meters above the water surface.

Hook shook his head. "It's no use Regina. I'm not going to take this risk." And then he turned to Emma. "Look, the thing is. The Queen can't swim. She'll simply drown if you let her fall into the sea. She's had an accident in her past and since then she's afraid of the water here."

Emma looked at him, her eyes wide with disbelieve. "Is that true?" She asked, turning to Regina.

Regina opened her mouth to deny the pirates words, her pride having a hard time playing along with this story, but when she met Hook's blue eyes, she knew she should play along. "Yes." She said in her best timid voice. "I can't swim and that's why I'm afraid of the water."

"Oh." Emma said. "Seriously why couldn't you just tell us." So much for the sheriffs so called 'superpower' Regina thought. "Because it's humiliating." Regina said. "Now can you lift me up?"

The blonde nodded and started to pull the rope again. However as the rope grew longer she had to set a few steps back, and clumsy as the sheriff was she didn't notice the bucket that was behind her and fell over it, releasing the rope at once in her fall. Before anyone could react the rope started to lower Regina down again and even though Hook still attempted to grasp the rope it was too late and they all saw how the former Evil Queen fell into the sea with a splash and a loud panicked scream.

"Nooo!" Hook yelled in anger as he walked over to Emma, pulled her up and pushed her roughly to the side of the ship. "Look what you did!" He roared. Emma looked with scared eyes to her parents but saw that they didn't have a clue of what would happen to Regina either as they had equally worried looks on their faces. When she locked eyes with Gold she shivered, very seldom had she seen the anger that was in his eyes now being directed to her. And all that time Regina still hadn't resurfaced.

"Look!" Snow then said and she pointed at a white light that was now visible from beneath the water surface.

"What's going on?" Charming asked Hook, but the pirate just shook his head, desperation in his eyes.

After a few seconds the light subsided, and just as they thought the water was still again a dark form seemed to move up towards them. And suddenly in one swift move a large creature shot up out of the sea and landed on the wooden border that decorated the outside of the ship.

Emma yelped when she was suddenly looking into the more than angry face of Regina. "Look. What . You _Did_.!" The brunette roared speaking every word fully and slow.

Emma just stared at the woman in front of her, although she didn't exactly know whether _woman_ was still the right term to use here. Regina's hair was long now, it reached till half way her upper arms, and was loosely falling down her face. Next to her right eye was a small blue jewel that matched with the bright blue eye shadow she now seemed to wear. Her bare arms glistened in the sunlight and Emma saw that her lower arms seemed to be tattooed with all sorts of oddly looking characters, _runes_ or something, and swirls and curls in dark blue and black. It matched the rest of her attire. A tight fitting black bodice with a sweetheart neckline with small blue jewels on it. Followed by a long, a _very_ long from black to blue going _tail_, which ended in bright blue fins. The part of her tail that was hanging down off the border was slowly moving back and forth as water dripped from the points.

"You...you...you..." Emma stammered.

"Do try to find your tongue, Miss Swan." Regina growled.

"You're a mermaid!" Snow helped her daughter out, her face equally shocked.

"Thanks to your daughter it most certainly seems to be the case, yes."

"I'm so sorry." Emma now breathed, which directed Regina's attention back to the blonde. "You're sorry! That's it? You're SORRY? Do you have ANY idea what you have done? Do you have ANY idea what it took me to turn back to normal the FIRST time?! I should kill you on the spot Miss Swan! And that still wouldn't be payment enough for what you did to me!"

"Oh my...this is not your _first_ time as a mermaid, dearie? How long has this thing between you and the Pirate been going on?" Gold now joined the conversation.

"Shut your mouth, crocodile." Hook growled before Regina could say anything. "Love, they are coming to get you."

"Who are coming?" Snow asked but her mouth formed an 'oh' when David pointed at the horizon where there appeared to be coming a group of mermaids their way.

Regina's face changed from angry to panicked in mere seconds at the Captain's words. "No..." She whimpered. "How will I be able to find Henry now? And you can't leave me!"

"We'll find a way." Hook said reassuringly as he walked closer to her, the Charmings set a few steps away to give them a little privacy.

As soon as Hook was within her reach Regina clung to him as tears started to fall. "I'm so sorry." she cried.

"Sorry for what? There's nothing to be sorry for. It is I who should be sorry for letting this happen again." He said to her sadly as he stroked her hair and hold her against him.

They could hear the mermaids were close now. He cupped her cheek with his one hand forcing her to look up to him, wrapping the other around her waist, careful to not hurt her with his hook. "I love you Regina." He said softly and the beautiful brunette in his arms responded by pressing their lips together as her hands moved up to his face.

They broke their kiss when they heard a shrill and evil voice from behind them of which they both knew all too well who it belonged to.

"Ah, Regina, dear, how good to see you again. It's not often that a mermaid manages to escape from me, then ends up back here in the same way...and by the look of it because of the _same_ pirate no less!" Regina didn't turn around, she just continued to cling to her pirate, not caring about anyone else, not the Charmings, not Rumpel, not the mermaids below and most certainly not that horrible sea witch.

"Oh, now, come on. You know how this works, we've been through this once already after all. Now say goodbye to your beloved pirate and come with me."

Regina just shook her head and buried her face deeper into the pirates chest as he wrapped his arms even more tightly around her.

"Ursula!" Hook said in a dangerously low voice. "Leave us alone! I won't let you take Regina with you this time. You have the Dark One against you too, don't do anything stupid."

"Oh, but the so called Dark One doesn't have his dark powers in this land now has he?" And rage consumed Hook as he watched how the voluptuous sea witch approached them, her tentacles curling and uncurling in the process. When she raised one of her tentacles to them he lashed out to it with his hook, giving the black flesh a nasty jab. He saw anger flair in her eyes.

"You should not have done that." She growled, and with one hand she sent all the people on the ship to the other side of the deck where she magically held them pinned to the railing. Hook had desperately tried to hold on to Regina but Ursula's magic was much stronger and so he too felt how his back collided with the railing on the other side of the ship.

Regina cried as she felt how a tentacle wrapped around her waist and moved her up in the air. "Let go of me! I need to find my son! You cannot take me away...Killian!" She cried hysterically but the sea witch didn't let her go.

"Don't make such a scene child." The sea witch simply said and with that she retreated from the ship and slowly disappeared under the water surface taking a screaming hysterically crying Regina with her.

* * *

**Don't hate me :P! And don't worry! The whole Ursula-thing won't be something that will be too prominent in this story. I 'just' need her there for technical stuff. So now you know what THE WATER-THING is, only questions left now are: WHY did she become a mermaid and how can she turn back (and how did she manage to do that the first time?)**

**Please review! Because I was soooo not sure whether I should do this or not xD!**

**x**

**Metope**

******Image of this story by G_deGold**


	5. Chapter 5

**V**

* * *

_**Neverland - past**_

She felt utterly betrayed. He had known who she was, he _must _have known. Why else would he have brought her here only to let her be taken by these creatures? These creatures of which she was one now too. She slowly moved her fin back and forth in front of her as she was sitting on a rock. It was odd to know that it was she who was causing the fin at the end of her long tail to move. It was heavy, and she could only move it slowly, judging by how the others moved she just needed to get used to it before she could move it just as fast as they did. She thought her fins were rather pretty as well, she had seen the tails of other mermaids, some were rainbow coloured, others a bright pink, dark red, brown, black and some were just an ugly shade of green of grey. Her fins were a bright blue and the blue faded slowly into black towards her waist. She liked it, it was pretty, feminine yet not too girly. She now went to lie down on the rock again. She wasn't uncomfortable though, this rock was covered with sea moss, which made its surface quite soft, these creatures, clearly not as civilised as the life above the sea - although they did try to be, apparently used them as beds. First she hadn't wanted to lie herself down on such a filthy rock, but yesterday she had been so tired – emotionally so drained, that she had eventually given in to the hands of the creatures that kept softly pushing her down. Yesterday – she thought that what had happened was yesterday, although she couldn't be too sure, she couldn't tell whether it was day or night here. Everything was just blue, they were too deep down for the sunlight to reach them.

Her thoughts went back to the pirate. She felt a wave of sadness hit her as she thought back to the pirate, with his dark short hair, his black coat, his shining silver hook, and his blue eyes. Those eyes...they were what confused her the most. Because as much as she wanted to believe that it had been the pirate's fault – all of this – she couldn't. Because as smoke had engulfed her, and when the creatures had taken her down into the water she had seen an utter confusion, a pain and a frustration in the blue eyes of the Captain. As if his words to her had been true, as if he really hadn't known this would happen.

She got pulled out of her thoughts by a mermaid that entered the small open cave that was apparently to be her room. "You're awake" The creature said, her dark red hair floating around her as a fan, she curled her brighter red tail and orange fins under her as to stop herself from swimming. "I hope you slept well? And that you were able to calm down a little. It's hard, I know, it always is, but you will get past it. Most of us do." Without waiting for an answer the girl now swam towards a small stone table that was on Regina's right and grabbed what seemed to be a comb of coral from it. She then approached Regina and started to comb her black hair, that now reached to her back, without even asking the former Queen if she was alright with this.

"I'm Ariel." The girl said. "I've been here for almost five years now, or so I think. It's hard to keep track of time in a land where no one ages and where you can't tell when the day up on the land ends or starts."

Regina knew that she was now expected to tell her name, and thinking that it might not hurt to have at least one friend here – no, scratch that, she wasn't going to stay here long enough to make any friends, the evil queen didn't have friends anyways, she only had her guards who were loyal to here and she had allies..that was the word that would grace this mermaid – She would become her ally. " My name is Regina." She said, she heard how her voice was hoarse, probably by all the crying of last night.

"Oh, just like the feared Evil Queen of the realm of the Enchanted Forest!"

Regina smiled wryly. "Yes, just like her."

" I heard the Evil Queen has disappeared suddenly, from one day to the other. Just ' poof' gone. The fairies told me when I went up to get some herbs that grow only on land at the coast. They said the cruel King George has now taken over her lands, as the young princess Snow White is still missing. You wouldn't happen to be her, would you? – the Evil Queen, I mean."

Regina stiffened at the girl's question, but relaxed again as she heard Ariel giggle. "I'm just teasing you Regina, no need to feel frightened. Of course I know you are not her. You are like us, you got your heart broken because you fell in love with a pirate and now you pay the consequences of such that is a sin here in Neverland. Therefore you cannot be the Evil Queen, for I'm most certain she cannot love anything else but herself, in fact, I'm not even sure whether she even has a heart. What do you think?"

Regina was quiet for a while, trying to figure out what would be the right response. An answer that would both satisfy the girl and wouldn't betray the hurt and anger she felt at the girl's words. "I think, " she then said. " That it's much more interesting to talk about what happened to me and why I am here, than it is to talk about some missing Evil Queen."

"You don't know why you became a mermaid?" Ariel asked surprised.

" No, how on earth should I have known I would turn into a large fish the moment I would touch the water here." Regina snapped and Ariel winced a little at the woman's harsh tone.

" Well, it's just...I thought Captain Hook would have told you. He is the oldest and best pirate alive here. And since you two fell in love I thought he would have told you about the laws of Neverland before he took you with him."

Regina shook her head annoyingly. " Two things. One, I specifically do _not _love Hook. Two, what laws?"

At this Ariel swam from behind Regina's back and went to sit next to the woman onto the ' bed'. " Two things." The red head imitated Regina. " One, you better make yourself comfortable, because this will be quite the story, and two, you are most definitely in love with Hook. But don't worry, he loves you equally. It's why all of this happened in the first place..."

* * *

_**Neverland – present**_

She wasn't sure what had shocked her the most. The fact that Hook and Regina apparently were a thing, _loved_ each other; the fact that Regina now was a mermaid; the fact that apparently this wasn't the first time that happened to her; or the fact that freaking Ursula was not an obese fat octopus, but a rather sexy well shaped one, that seemed to be just as sassy as Regina could be.

As soon as the octopus disappeared beneath the sea surface again she felt how Ursula's magic that had pinned them against the ship disappeared. Hook immediately ran to the other side of the ship and let out a frustrated heartfelt angry scream when the sea was just as calm again as it had been before everything.

"What– What _was_ that." Emma asked, and in the next moment she wished she hadn't spoken as Hook now turned around and looked at her with such anger, such _hatred_, that she automatically set a step back.

Her father, noticing the way Hook was looking at his daughter immediately made his way to the pirate and grabbed him at the shoulders. "Hook, we'll find a way to get her back, calm down."

"It's her fault!" The pirate growled. "And don't you dare telling me to calm down! What is wrong with you Charmings? You always think you have to meddle in everyone else's affairs! Mind your own business for ONCE!"

"The pirate has a point." Gold piped up but that just caused the pirate to turn its thunder to the imp instead of David. "And _you_! You _knew_ this would happen, you had everything figured out already, why on _earth_ didn't you stop them!?"

"I warned Miss Swan several times, but her stubborn nature made that she didn't listen to my advice."

"Well what a warnings that were, could you have been anymore cryptically?!" Emma huffed.

"Swan, even if we hit you in the face with a warning you would still ignore it if you didn't like it!" Hook growled.

Before Emma could protest to the pirate's words she got interrupted by her mother who was now standing on a bucket that was upside down. "Everyone calm down, now!" The brunette yelled, and at the look in her eyes that told them this was not something that was up for discussion, the four adults did as they were told.

"Hook." The woman continued. "I understand that you are upset about what happened– we all are. But this fighting doesn't bring Regina back. Emma is very sorry for what happened but how could she have known Regina would become a mermaid. Now, I suggest that we all sit down and you try to explain what happened, and then we try to find a way to not only save Henry but to save Regina as well." That having said the woman did as she'd suggested and now went to sit down on the bucket. "Well, Hook, come on. Tell us what on earth happened."

David let go of Hook as soon as he felt the pirate stopping to resist him and went to sit next to his wife, the rest gathered around them.

"Peter Pan…" Hook started. "Has created the laws of Neverland. He has been looking for apparently _Henry, _for centuries. He used the Lost Boys to look for him, sometimes they thought they had found the boy, but it never was him. Instead these boys became part of his group of Lost Boys as well. These boys are loyal to Peter Pan because they have no other choice. They are brainwashed so to say. Pan makes them believe that they don't need parents, that _he_ is their best chance. Therefore it's very important that there are no parental figures in Neverland. The only adults in this land are the wild indians and the pirates, well I don't have to tell you why neither of them is really parent-material for these boys. However, contrary to what one might think, pirates _can_ fall in love, and this particular fact posed a threat to Pan. Because if a pirate would fall in love with a woman, and would bring this woman with him to Neverland, that woman would pose a threat to the loyalty of his lost boys, as they could start to see this woman as their mother and turn away from Pan. Therefore, the law of Neverland is that a pirate cannot be loved. The story went that if the love between a pirate and a woman is true, the moment she touches the waters of Neverland she will turn into a mermaid. That way both the woman and the pirate will be punished. For the one place where a pirate spends most of his life is the sea, the sea in which now his beloved lives. They are so close to each other and yet they can never be together."

After the pirate stopped talking it was quite for some time. Then David asked. "Then why do the pirates take their loves with them, why don't they just go live with their true love somewhere else than Neverland?"

"Oh they do, most of them do. The mermaid population doesn't grow as much anymore as it did, whereas there are less and less pirates in Neverland." Hook replied.

"But, from what has happened I understood that this isn't the first time Regina turned into a mermaid. I get why you brought her this time, for Henry, but why did you bring her the first time, while you knew about the laws of Neverland?" Snow asked.

The pirate sighed. "I– It's complicated. At the time she was the Evil Queen. I thought these laws of Neverland were just stories. For with Milah…with Milah nothing ever happened." Hook tried to ignore the smirk that appeared on Gold's face at this confession. Milah hadn't been Hook's true love after all then. Milah had truly only come to Neverland to seek adventure. Therefore she didn't pose a threat to Pan, for a woman like that was no mother-material. "I took Regina with me because she was so incredibly miserable, I couldn't stand seeing her so sad. It was a few years after she had become the 'Evil' Queen, only I didn't know any of that. I had no idea who she was, I didn't even know her name. We promised to tell each other about our pasts in Neverland. It's why I could see her misery in the first place, I think. She didn't have to pretend to be some Evil Queen in front of me, it was easier for her to show how she felt with me. However, before we could really get to any of it a bucket filled with sea water landed on her legs and so she turned into a mermaid in front of my eyes. I was completely shocked to say the least, and so was she, thinking I had done this on purpose to her. I brought her to the sea, because mermaids can't live without any contact with water for too long. And when the mermaids had come to get her I thought I would never see her again."

"But she managed to escape…Ursula mentioned as much and well, it's obvious that she did." Emma said. "How?"

Hook shrugged. "I have absolutely no idea how she did that. However, it must have cost her much. Ursula isn't one for giving favors to her mermaids. She likes to rule over them, the more the merrier." Hook concluded.

* * *

_**Neverland – past**_

Ariel had left Regina a while ago, sensing the woman needed some time alone. Now she was lying on her bed, crying. Why could nothing ever go right in her life? Why wasn't she ever allowed to be happy? Her mother had been right. Love _is_ weakness. She had fallen for it twice now. It wouldn't happen again, she wouldn't let it. She would find a way out of here, then throw that sorry excuse for a King, George out of her palace and then resume her quest for Snow White's head. The Evil Queen would not give up…

* * *

**UPDATE. O my lovelies I can't tell you how happy I am that all of you reacted so positively to the Regina being a mermaid thing ;)!**

**I know I introduced Ariel in this chapter, but she won't really be playing a mayor role...so don't get too excited over it (in fact I'm going to be not so nice to Ariel at all T_T).**

**Reviews make me happy, and I would love to hear what you think about the laws of Neverland. I found this chapter difficult to write because I had to explain so much in it XD!**

**x**

**Metope**

******Image of this story by G_deGold**


	6. Chapter 6

**VI**

* * *

_**Neverland - Present**_

She was all alone. No one had spoken a word to her since she had been here. She didn't blame them, after what she had done...if someone would have done something like that to someone she held dear she would do the same. She had betrayed them. She didn't even really know what had happened, but she knew that she had been the one that had made it possible, and they knew it too.

However now was not the time for a pity party. She had to get out of here and figure out where Hook and the others were…and Henry. The fact that she now was a mermaid could give them an advantage in finding Henry, _if_ she managed to get out and get past Ursula that was. The sea witch had given her a room close to her own, so she could keep an eye to her. She knew she posed a threat to Ursula. Some mermaids here were like humans back home capable of using magic, and since she had been able to use magic as a human, she was now able to use mermaid magic too. However, mermaids with magic were rare and the little that did practice magic were followed closely by Ursula.

She sighed, it would probably be another two hours before it would be night time and the merfolk would go to sleep. She might as well try to find something to eat in the central dining hall before she would venture out of the merpalace. She had only swum two meters away from her room when Ursula suddenly magically appeared in front of her. "And where do you think you are going, dear? Weren't trying to escape were you?"

Regina shook her head with an annoyed sigh. "Running from you is foolish, _dear_. I know better than to do that. No, I was just on my way to the dining hall, all the drama of earlier today made me quite hungry. So if you would let me pass that would be very kind of you." She said in a mocking tone.

The sea witch stared at her for a couple of seconds with her dark black empty eyes, and then, when she had convinced herself Regina was speaking the truth she moved aside so the mermaid could pass. Regina smirked, this little encounter proved that it would be best to leave through the window tonight, she would find a way past the guards that were guarding her room on that side. Ursula was powerful and smart, her eels however not so much, it would be easy to slip past them, using a little magic if necessary. The smirk on her lips disappeared as soon as she entered the dining hall and was met by angry stares coming from all the mermaids present.

Well, Regina, she thought to herself, in fact this is no other than the stares you got in Storybrooke, compared to those, these mermaids almost seem to be smiling to you, you'll get through this. And with her head held high she swam to the food table, as if she were completely alone in the large hall. She would simply not let these ridiculous pathetic mermaids get to her. When she turned around with her plate she almost bumped in to two other mermaids that were closely behind her. She smiled sickly sweet at the angry mermaids in front of her. "I'm sorry? Is there a problem?"

The mermaid growled. "What makes you think you are allowed to be here?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe the sign 'Mermaid dining hall' above the entrance of this lovely place did? As you see, I wanted to have dinner and I _am_ a mermaid after all…" She flipped her fin mockingly in front of the blonde mermaid in front of her.

"You killed the princess, you are no mermaid, you are a monster." The black haired mermaid backed up her blonde friend.

Regina frowned. "I'm sorry, I don't recall doing such thing…I have killed people and other…creatures…in my life, most certainly. But I cannot recall killing your lovely red haired mermaid princess. Because it is her we're talking about here, am I right?" Her confusion wasn't entirely an act at this moment. Ursula had said no harm would calm to the mermaid princess, so if she was killed it truly wasn't her fault, that had never been her intention.

Her plate fell out of her hands when the blonde mermaid now launched herself at Regina and pinned her against the dining table. "Don't you dare lying about this! It is because of you that Ursula killed her! You brought that man to her that helped her!"

Regina shook her head. "She said she wouldn't kill her." She whispered, eyes wide with shock. She cursed herself for having been so naïve, for not having taken these creatures seriously. She had simply underestimated them all back then, apparently they were just as vicious and evil as men.

"Well she did kill her! Thanks to _you_ she's dead!" The blonde yelled in her face and then Regina had enough. They were allowed to be mad at her for trapping their princess – even though killing her had never been her intention – but she would not let anyone treat her like this. With a flick of her wrist she pushed the mermaid backwards with her magic.

"Be it as it may.." She growled. "I did _not_ have the intention to _kill_ Ariel! Not ever! She was my friend! I thought I was helping her like this! And you do not have the right to treat me like this!"

"Helping her?" The black mermaid now asked as she helped her blonde friend up from the floor. "How can bringing that horrible man here be _helping_ her in any way?"

Regina huffed. "You wouldn't understand." Was all she said. "Now if you'd please excuse me, I think I lost my appetite." And with that she whirled around and swam out of the dining hall.

* * *

_**Neverland – Past**_

"Hey Regina, what's up?" The cheerful voice of the red head sounded as she entered Regina's room. She frowned when she saw how Regina was holding a small bright purple ball of energy in between her hands. "You have magic!" Ariel exclaimed, her sudden rise in volume startling Regina who let go of the purple ball as she turned around causing the ball of energy to fly to Ariel in rapid speed. The eyes of the brunette widened as she waited for the inevitable collision of mermaid and magic, as there was nothing she could do from here to deflect the magic. However Ariel simply put out her hands and caught the ball. She brought her hands closer to each other and with that reduced the magic to nothing again.

"You have magic too." Regina breathed, and she then swam towards Ariel, holding her at the shoulders. "Gods, I thought that spell would hit you. I have no idea what it would have done."

"Not much, it would just have flung me back a little." Ariel smiled as she pulled Regina with her and went to sit down on her bed. "I didn't know you had magic." The young girl stated, it was an indirect invite for Regina to explain.

"I didn't know either – Or, I did know, I could do magic back home. But in Neverland I couldn't, so I didn't expect to have magic now…" Regina explained.

Ariel smiled. "Mermaids and Fairies are the only creatures here in Neverland with magic abilities. That's why you couldn't do magic as a human."

"Magic is different here." Regina stated. "I was pretty good in practicing magic back home, if I say so myself. But here it's difficult ."

Ariel nodded. "Yes, it's different, you have to approach it in a different way, it takes a little practice to figure that out."

"Did it take you long to control it?"

The red head shook her head. "No, only a week or so. However, I don't use it much though, I don't like magic."

"Me neither." Regina nodded. "But – I thought…maybe if I could control this magic I could use it to – "

She was stopped by Ariel's hand on her tail at the point where it bent down over the side of the bed. "Our magic can't turn you back into a human, if that's what you were hoping for." She said with an apologetic smile.

Sadness immediately washed over Regina's face at her friend's words. "Why not?" She asked in a small voice.

Ariel shrugged. "It's just the way it is. Part of the laws of Neverland that I told you about. Probably the only one who could turn you back is Ursula. Now don't get all depressed, " The mermaid continued as she saw the desperation in Regina's eyes. "You'll get used to it. Most mermaids do."

"Most mermaids do?" Regina asked. "You said that before, why do you say _ most_? Why not all?"

Now it was Ariel's to become sad. "Some girls.." She started, "They can't get over the loss of their true love." Regina winced at the words, she still found it hard to believe Hook was her true love, she wasn't so sure that part of Ariel's theory was right. Maybe it would work already if you just cared for each other…because that seemed more to be the case with her and Hook. They cared for each other…but true love? _Daniel_ was her true love…

"These mermaids." Ariel continued. "They get mad so to say. They are so desperate for love that they would do anything for it. Every day they swim to the surface waiting and hoping for a pirate to get close enough for them to pull him into the water."

Regina gasped. "Why would they do that?"

"They think – or actually they _hope_ – it will be someone who can love them. They want to bring him home with them, however the man will drown of course as soon as they take him with them."

The two mermaids were silent for a while as both thought about the tragedy that was these mermaids. "I don't want to become that…" Regina eventually said in a small voice.

"You won't."

"How do you know? Love is weakness, I know that, yet I fall for it every time! I will get crazy if I can't get out of here, how do you know I won't become like them?"

Ariel put an arm around her friend. "Because I will watch over you, just as you will watch over me."

Regina nodded. "Well that is unfair." She then stated. "You are so loved by everyone and you have magic and you can swim so well, what is there possibly for me to watch over?"

Ariel's eyes darkened a little at the question. "Oh, there are lots of things, Regina…Ursula for instance…"

* * *

_**Neverland – Present**_

She had a hard time controlling her laughter. It had been so incredibly easy to distract the eels long enough so she could slip out, it was ridiculous. She swam as fast as she could. She didn't have to beware of running in to any mermaids; they would all be asleep right now. At night other sea creatures would wake – it was the only way of telling it was night in the first place, since the sea was always dark – these creatures were generally a menace to mermaids. However, Ariel had taught her that they were all afraid of light, and so she was now swimming through the ocean with in her left hand a small bundle of bright purple energy that would keep these creatures most definitely away.

She had a plan. She had had plenty of time to think about what she would do after she had returned from the dining fiasco. Neverland was big, and Tamara and Greg would probably travel by foot. That meant that there was no way that they had reached Peter Pan already. Assuming that this island was foreign to the two villains, and knowing that they were not completely brainless, they would probably camp on the beach. For no person in his right mind would decide to camp somewhere in the middle of a jungle that he doesn't know. So, first she would swim around the island to see if she saw Henry somewhere. Once she had covered that, she would return to her room and try to contact Hook through her mirror. She had wanted to hit herself when she finally thought of her ability to communicate through mirrors. She had magic now, so why hadn't she thought sooner about that.

It didn't take her that much time to find the three people she was looking for. The two fools had made a large fire, probably to keep unwanted animals away, but also making them an easy target to spot. Her eyes watered when she saw her little boy. They had tied him to one of the trees that were the beginning of the jungle, he was crying. Greg and Tamara were sitting a few meters away at the fire. At one point Greg turned around and shouted at Henry to 'shut the pathetic crying for his mommy'. For a moment she wondered who Henry would be asking for, Emma or her? But she pushed the thought aside just as quickly, now wasn't the time for matters like that. She desperately wanted to use her magic and drown Greg and Tamara and free her baby boy, however it would be no use. She couldn't take Henry with her – not like this at least – and even if he could come with her, there was Ursula to think about.

The thought of taking Henry with her did provide her with a new idea, however. She couldn't take him with her to the palace but she could bring him back to the ship. The only thing she would need was the special kind of flowers that grew on the other side of Neverland, that made it able for humans to breathe under water. If Hook could procure those for her, they could save him, and in the water Peter Pan nor Tamara and Greg could get to them.

She swam closer to the shore, trying to be able to hear anything of the conversation Greg and Tamara were having.

"Pan will come to get the boy in two days." Greg said, Tamara nodded. "Do we have enough food to stay here until then?" She asked.

"Yes, and if not, we'll just give the boy a little less."

"He needs to be healthy, Pan wanted him healthy." Tamara retorted.

Greg smirked. "Look at the boy, he's well fed. He will be able to do without food for a day or two…besides, what use does it have to feed him if Pan will kill him anyways after that."

Regina was having a hard time to muffle the gasp that left her lips at Greg's words. Her mind was working on full peed now. They had to get Henry out of there before Pan got to him, meaning they only had two days. She would have to contact Hook right away and tell him to get those flowers as soon as possible, no time could be lost anymore. She was pulled out of her thoughts by the voice of her son that cut through the air as he was yelling hysterically at the two adults on the beach.

"You will not get away with this!" He yelled. "Good always wins! My moms will come to save me! They both have magic!"

"This island doesn't have magic, foolish boy. Your moms are powerless here, as is your grandfather." Greg mocked Henry.

The boy shook his head. "It doesn't matter, they can beat you without magic too. You tried to kill my mom once already, and she survived that, so she will beat you this time too! My mom loves me and I love my mom and she is _good_, and good always wins!" He repeated. Regina's eyes watered at how her boy was defending her. Her heart swelled at his words, he _did_ love her. After his words she decided it was time to leave, and with a pained heart she turned around and swam back, leaving her boy behind.

* * *

As soon as she was back in her room she swam to her mirror and waved her hand in front of the surface. "Please, let there be someone there." She prayed, and her prayers were heard when not only she saw Hook through the mirror, but all the other members of their rescuing team as well. They were all standing around Hook's desk looking at what probably was a map of Neverland.

"Excuse me, could you please all turn around dears?" She said and smirked at the startled faces that moved her way.

"Regina! Are you alright? Where are you?" Hook said as he set a step closer to the mirror. She smiled a small smile at him. "I'm as alright as is possible in this situation, dear." She said in a soft voice, and then her face grew serious again. "I found Henry." She stated.

Snow and Emma gasped in unison at her statement and a smile appeared on their faces. "Where?" Snow asked. "How do we get to him?"

"Greg and Tamara are staying with him at the beach. I listened in on their conversation and they said that Pan is coming to get him in two days. He- He wants Henry dead."

"Is he alright?" Emma asked, worry clearly audible in her voice. A worry that only grew as the blonde saw how Regina's face saddened considerably and she shook her head. "No. They got him _tied_ to a tree. He was hysterical crying, so upset, of course. They don't have enough food and the selfish bastards are considering letting him starve for those remaining two days." Regina's voice grew more and more angry with every word, yet it softened right after it again as she spoke about her son again. "Yet he is being so brave. He was yelling at them when they insulted both you and me, even tied to a tree he is defending us."

"So we have two days to get him?" David now asked and Regina nodded.

"Yes…where are you all now?"

"On the north side of the island." Hook answered.

Regina frowned. "That's too far away to get to him yourselves; however it is perfect for my plan B."

"Tell us, dearie." Gold smirked, amused by how Regina even seemed to be able to control all of them from the sea.

"I can take him with me. I can't take him to the palace because of Ursula but I could bring him to you through the sea. I can swim much faster than your ship can sail, and Peter Pan nor Greg or Tamara will be able to get to him." She explained.

"Yeah…except for the fact where Henry is no mermaid, this is a good plan." Emma said sarcastically.

"Which is why _you_ are going on land first thing tomorrow and are going to get a flower that lets humans breathe underwater." Regina replied. "It's about a day's travel from where you are now to get to the flower and be back here again. I will sneak out the palace tomorrow night to retrieve the flower, and will take Henry to you in that same night."

Emma nodded thoughtfully. "And how are you going to free Henry when he's tied to a tree on land and you are a mermaid and metaphorically tied to the water?"

Regina sighed annoyingly. "How do you think I'm communicating with you right now Miss Swan?"

"Through a mirror?" The blonde asked. No one said anything for a while patiently waiting until it started to dawn on the blonde. "Oh!" She exclaimed. "Magic! You have magic!"

"Oh, you're so clever Miss Swan, how ever did you do it." Regina mocked the blonde.

Before this could turn out into a fight between the two David interrupted them. "What kind of flower will we be looking for?"

"It's a small pink one, with a yellow heart." Regina said. "Wait, I have a scroll here on which it is drawn." And with that the five people saw how the brunette swam away from the mirror, her strong tail pushing her forward through the water.

"I don't know what you guys think, but this is most definitely the craziest form in which I have seen Regina in my entire life…" Emma said, receiving nods from her parents and Gold as she stared at how Regina was fumbling through her stuff searching for the scroll as her fins slowly moved back and forth to keep her on one place.

"I heard that Miss Swan!" Regina's voice came from the back of the room. "Need I remind you that it is entirely your fault that I am here in the first place?" The brunette swam back to the mirror and chose to drop the subject as she how Emma's cheeks had reddened considerably.

"Here." She said as she unfolded the scroll. "Can you see it?"

"Yes, yes. That's easy to remember." Snow said and Regina folded the scroll again at her words.

"Alright. Then if no one has any other questions I would like you all to leave the room so I can speak alone to Killian for a while." Regina stated and she felt a blush creeping up her cheeks when Emma chuckled. "Yes, yes, we will give you two love birds some alone time."

"Shut up, Swan." Hook growled. "And you heard the lady, get out of my cabin." He added to that, which caused the four to obediently leave the room. As soon as the door was closed Hook got as close to the mirror as possible.

"How are you really doing, love?" He asked in a soft voice.

"I miss you…" Was her reply. "Ursula is keeping a close eye to me, and the mermaids here all hate me because apparently my deal with Ursula and _him_ caused the princess to _die_…and they hold me responsible."

Hook raised his eyebrows. "_You_ were the one that sent the crocodile here to help Ursula get rid of the princess?"

Regina shook her head. "She only promised she would take her magic. I thought it would be for the best. Ariel wouldn't have to live in danger anymore and I would be able to go back home. I didn't know she would die."

"When a mermaid with magical abilities' magic is taken the mermaid dies, love."

Regina gasped. "She tricked me…" He couldn't see any tears falling but from the sound of her voice it was evident that she was crying.

He put his hand flat to the mirror as if he was hoping to touch her. "You didn't know love, as you say, she tricked you, it's not your fault."

"I miss you." Regina repeated and she now too placed her hand to the glass, at the same place as Hook's hand was. "I have to go now. It will be morning soon and they can't find out I'm able to communicate with you like this."

The pirate nodded in understanding. "Once Henry is safe I will find a way to get you out of there Regina. I promise you, we won't leave you."

She smiled a sad smile in return. Honestly she didn't believe him, how could he find a way to get her out of here? There wasn't a way…Ursula would never be willing to make another deal with her, and since the first deal had cost her the life of her best friend, nor would she be willing to make a deal with that sea witch.

"I love you." She whispered.

"I love you too, Regina. Hang in there, we will see each other soon."

She just nodded as she blew him a hand kiss, he smiled, and that was the last thing she saw of him before she waved her hand in front of the mirror and the image of the pirate changed into her own reflection in the mirror again.

* * *

**There you goooooo ****! I'm off to Rome tonight so I am not sure whether I'll be able to upload then. ****. Reviews make me happy so please leave on ****!**

**X**

**Metope**


	7. Chapter 7

**VII**

* * *

_**Neverland – Present**_

"I'll bring it to her myself. You can all go back to the ship." He said as he hang the bag with the flower in it over his shoulder.

"No, wait. How do we know we can trust you?" It was a stupid question and he saw the blonde knew that too the moment the words had left her lips. He just turned away from her and started walking in the direction of the beach. The sun was setting at a rapid rate, by the time he would arrive at the beach it would probably be pitch dark already.

He was right. When his feet hit the sand all that greeted him were a dark calm sea and an even darker sky with bright stars and a bright moon. For a moment he just looked at the scene in front of him, trying to decide where it would be that Regina was keeping herself hidden. When his eyes fell on a small rock formation on his right, he knew that was where he needed to go. The rocks would be ideal to hide oneself from unwanted eyes.

She was sitting on one of the rocks that could not be seen from both sea and land. The tips of her tail still made contact with the water as to make sure she would dehydrate. She had already heard him coming, as his eyes immediately met hers when she became visible. His heart jumped at the sight of hers. He had missed her so incredibly much, and even as a mermaid she was beautiful, the moonlight accentuating even more the darkness of her eyes with a glimmer of happiness in it at his appearance.

"Where is the rest? Something didn't happen, did it?" She asked cautiously and worried when she saw it was only him that came to visit her. He shook his head to calm her. "No, love. Everything is fine. They're waiting at the ship."

She nodded. "Do you have the flower?"

"That I do indeed." And with his words he removed the bag from his shoulder and handed it over to her. She quickly opened the bag as to make sure the right flower had been picked, and by the bright smile that appeared on her face once the small pink petals and the yellow heart of the flower were visible, he knew they had done the job right.

"You did it." She whispered, excitement in her voice. When she looked up at him he was almost taken aback by the love and hope he saw in her eyes. She held her hand out to him to invite him to come closer. "The water is not deep here, you can still stand." She explained while he took her hand and moved forward. As soon as he was within her reach she bend forward and gave him a chaste kiss to the lips. "Thank you." She smiled.

That was it for him. He knew they had had an unspoken agreement to not kiss each other or be too intimate as to not make things harder than they already were, but he simply couldn't do it. It had taken him all his strength and self control already to not take her in his arms and kiss her from the moment he saw her, and after this kiss he simply surrendered. Before her head moved away again he placed his hand and hook on either side of her face and brought her close to him again. A small gasp left her lips at the warm touch of his hand on one side of her face and the cool metal of his hook on the other, but she was silent when his lips met hers in the softest and most affective kind of way he had ever kissed her. When she felt his tongue against her lower lip she willingly parted her lips so he could deepen the kiss. Their tongues told each other how much they had missed each other, how much they longed for each other and most of all how much they loved each other. When they broke the kiss for much needed air he almost immediately moved his lips to her neck, placing tender kisses from her jaw line down to her shoulder. She stretched her neck to give him better access. "Killian..." She breathed. "Stop...we shouldn't..." But speaking was simply too difficult while he was still kissing her. However, the moment was quickly disrupted when he moved away from her with a sharp hiss. When she looked back up to him to see what had caused this sudden movement she saw that his hand was now covered in little cuts where blood was dripping from.

"What on earth..." He started, but Regina silenced him by taking his hand in hers and perform magic to heal the cuts. She smiled a sad smile to him. "Mermaids are not made to be loved, dear. My scales are sharp to the touch of human flesh. It makes sure that...we cannot be together." A tear now made its way down her cheek, he brushed it away with his thumb and then moved his hand to cup her chin and tilt her face so that she had to look at him.

"We will find a way to turn you back human, Regina, I promise."

She shook her head. "You shouldn't make silly promises you know you won't be able to keep, Killian."

His eyes widened a little as he realised that she had given up already. "Stop it." He said forcefully. "I don't want to hear you talk like this, this is not you. Regina Mills never gives up, Regina Mills always fights back. If you were able to escape this life once, you'll be able to do it again."

She didn't say anything to him, she just stared into his eyes as tears fell from hers. "I don't know how..." she eventually whispered.

He gave a short nod. "I will ask the crocodile for help."

It was a great sacrifice, she knew it. The feared Captain Hook would rather die than ask his arch enemy for help. That he was willing to do so now only proved once more how much he truly loved her.

"Rumpel doesn't have magic here. He is useless." She countered.

"Maybe he cannot perform the magic, but he still has the knowledge. Maybe he can make some sort of potion or something. They usually require not much magic to create, just a lot of weird rare and hard to find ingredients, right?"

She slowly nodded. "Although I doubt the cure to be as simple as a potion."

He smiled at her. "We will see about that, love. Maybe it is."

He brought her in for another kiss, one she eagerly returned. "Now ," He said when they parted, his thumb softly caressing her cheek, occasionally brushing away a lonely tear. "You should go now, I think you will have another five hours before the sun comes up again."

She nodded, he was right. "Yes, I'll bring him to the ship, it's safer than taking him back here where you can still lose him."

"Alright, good luck love, and be careful."

She smiled at him. "I will. I love you, Killian."

"I love you too." He replied and he watched how she let herself slide from the rock back into the water and swam away.

* * *

_**Neverland – Past**_

"I want you to give me back my legs." She said, making her presence known as she swam inside the cave that Ursula used as her headquarters.

The octopus whirled around at her voice and for just a second Regina saw a hint of surprise in the dark orbs. "How did you get past my guards?"

"I used magic." She simply stated.

"Is that so?"

The brunette nodded to confirm.

"Well it's rather foolish of you to have come to me and tell me that then."

"I know, you're not too fond of mermaids with magic, Ariel told me all about it."

The sea witch nodded as she swam closer to Regina. "Indeed." She said, the bubbles that left her mouth almost touched the brunette's face. "Mermaids aren't suited for the art of magic, they're too ignorant."

"_That_ is why you don't want us to use magic?" She smirked as the witch nodded. "O please, dear. We both know that's a lie."

"Is it? Then what is it I'm trying to hide according to you?" The witch took Regina's chin in her hand so that she had to look at her.

Regina smirked as she shook her head to release herself from the witches grip. "You are _afraid_. Afraid that there might be mermaids out there more powerful than you. Mermaids like Ariel for example...That is why you want her gone." Before Ursula could deny any of what Regina had just said the young woman continued. "You want her gone, and I can help you with that _if_ you give me back my legs."

Ursula laughed, her face in a mocking grin. "And what makes you think that I would agree to this little proposal of yours." At this Regina lifted her hand and with one flick of her wrist she had the octopus pinned against the wall.

"Because if you won't, I will join forces with your arch nemesis, and I think this little demonstration of my magic just showed you that you most certainly won't be able to defeat us both."

"Where did you learn this?" The witch breathed, anger raging in her eyes as she had the greatest difficulty releasing herself from the magic of the mermaid in front of her.

"I will tell you if you agree to the deal."

"Name your terms."

"I learned all that I know from a man, a man that will be able to help you with your problem. Where I come from he is known as The Dark One." By the small gasp that left Ursula's lips and the way her eyes widened just a little Regina knew that Ursula had heard of her former teacher before.

"I can ask him to come here and help you out,_ but_ only to stripe Ariel from her magic. You cannot harm her in any other way and in return, you will let me go home and give me back my legs." She paused to let Ursula think about the terms of her agreement. "Do we have a deal?" She finally asked.

"How can I trust you. How will I know that once you're back in your land you will indeed send the Dark One to me?" The witch asked.

"You will just have to trust me on my word." She spoke slow, pronouncing every word as to heighten the tension that was already between them.

"Do you really mistake me for being that big a fool?"

"Well…you are a _fish_ after all…?"

Anger flared up in the witch's eyes as she lunged forward and pinned Regina against the wall of her cave by her throat. "Don't push your luck now dear, you must be grateful I haven't killed you already."

Regina said nothing, she just waited, she saw how Ursula was slightly taken aback by how unfazed the brunette seemed by her demonstration of power. Who was this woman?

"I will give you three days." The witch finally said. "You get your legs and then you have three days to make sure the Dark One will come to my aide. If you don't succeed your tail will return." She released the woman's throat when she was done speaking and swam away.

"Deal." Regina said, her voice slightly hoarse.

"Know what you are getting yourself into dear. Mermaids are a rare known species where you come from. When someone of your land will find you with a tail I can guarantee you it won't be pleasant."

"Well, then let's hope for the both of us that the Dark One will be here within three days, shall we?" She said in a low voice as she swam towards Ursula. "Now..as I only can fulfill my part of the deal once you give me back my legs, I suggested you get started…_dear_."

* * *

**UPDATE :D! Reviews make me happy, so please leave one behind ****!**

**x**

**Metope**


	8. Chapter 8

**VIII**

* * *

**Neverland present**

"How did it go?" Emma asked as soon as he returned to the ship. She, the crocodile and her parents were sitting on the lower deck, waiting for his return.

"We picked the right flower. She was very happy to see it, and she took off right away to get Henry." He answered as he joined them.

"Well, that is good to hear. We will be able to leave tonight then." David said happily.

"Oh, Hook, what happened? You have blood on your shirt." Snow said worried and when Hook looked down to where Snow was pointing he saw how the sleeve of his white shirt had some blood stains on it from where he had cut himself to Regina's skin.

"Oh…it's…nothing. Just …cut myself." The pirate awkwardly explained. The Charmings seemed to be satisfied with this answer, but the crocodile had a knowing smirk on his face.

"Couldn't keep your hands off of her, could you now?" He asked grinning.

"I'm sorry what?" Emma now asked confused about what the imp was implying to Hook.

"The skin of a mermaid is covered with sharp scale, damaging for human skin." Gold explained. "I take it our Queen has healed your hand, however the blood proves that you did try to touch her. Can only imagine how hard that must have been. Being unable to touch the woman you've yearned for so long." As Gold saw how he was pushing the pirate's buttons by talking this way about the pirates relationship with Regina his grin grew even wider as he continued. "O…how hard it must have been for you….twenty eight years you have been apart, twenty eight years you weren't able to touch her, to kiss her, to have your _way_ with her and – " The imp was rudely interrupted in his teasing when a fist collided with his jaw. A left fist….a female fist….and when he looked up he looked into angry green eyes.

"Don't let me _ever_ here you talk _that_ disrespectful of any woman _ever_ again." The blonde growled before she sat back again, immediately being scolded by her brunette mother for acting so impulsive.

"Why, I think the lass did a pretty good job, Snow." Hook said with a grin on his face. He didn't care that it wasn't him who had punched the crocodile. He wanted to, but Emma had simply been faster, and she had hit him good, making clear that it was not alright to talk this way, as if she was purely a body for a man to enjoy, of any woman. "And for the record…I _never_ had my _way_ with her." He then growled to the imp. "Maybe that is how you treated Milah, but it's most certainly not the way I treat women, and it's not the way I plan to treat Regina either…"

"_Plan_ to treat…as in…haven't done already?" Emma now asked genuinely surprised, a blush covering her cheeks when the pirate's eyes narrowed in on her. "Well – " She stammered. "I just assumed that – "

But the pirate shook his head. "It's none of your business, Swan."

"Oh that is so romantic!" Snow now squealed. "You love each other already even before you have slept with each other. That's so old fashioned it's so….perfect, I'd say. And that of the two of _you_!"

That was enough to the pirate. "Let's get ready." He said instead in a stern voice indicating that the subject was not up for any further discussion. "Regina should be back with Henry in a couple of hours and we have to be ready to set sail then." He started to walk away from the group but then remembered his promise to Regina and turned around. "Gold!" The imp looked up and the pirate had to hide a smirk upon seeing a little bit of blood trickling down the man's face where Emma had punched him. "I need your help."

"Oh do you now?" The man said amused, immediately seeing an opportunity to exploit this situation. "And what makes you think I will help you with this?"

"Because it is not for me, but for Regina. You need to help me find a way to turn her back human."

The imp opened his mouth to say he wouldn't cooperate, but as he felt the expecting eyes of the Charmings on him, he knew he didn't really have a choice. It was expected of him to be good now, and helping his former apprentice apparently was something that came with that, and so he nodded.

"Well, I could make the potion for you that does just that, I suppose. All you need is a special kind of herb not many know the existence of, however I of course know where to find it on this island. I could go out right now and gather it, it's not far away from here and we're in a relatively safe place, I can have it done by the time Regina comes. But – " The imp continued when he saw a wide smile appear on the captain's face. "We cannot give it to her right away, only when we are back in Storybrooke I will turn her back human."

"And why would you do that?" David now asked.

"Because, dearie, we need someone with magic to open a portal for us. And as you all know, _I_ don't have magic in this land, nor does Miss Swan. Regina however does have magic in her mermaid form. So she needs to open the portal, then we take her with us on board of the Jolly Roger and as soon as we're back in our world I will give her the potion. Deal?"

"There is no other way?" Snow asked worried.

"Believe me, dearie, if there was, I would tell you." And it was true what the imp said, but he really didn't see another way.

"Alright, then that is how it will be." The pirate decided. "Rumpelstiltskin, you will go out now to find the herbs, while we will prepare the ship for Regina and young Henry's return." And so the four adults did what they had to do, determined to make sure nothing could go wrong, so that they could go home in a couple of hours, _with _Henry safely with them.

* * *

**_Fairytale land Past_  
**

She was free! She had her legs back and she was free! All had gone easier than expected when she had found out upon her return that her former master was engaging himself with a certain young woman named Belle. It had been so simple from there to manipulate the girl enough for the little _thing_ they had had to end, and to make the imp broken and angry enough for him to lose his normal calculated attitude, and jump right into her deal, helping Ursula to deal with Ariel, and in that way securing her state as human being.

This had all taken place of course _after_ she had taken back her kingdom. That foolish King George was no match to her. After all, as she owned the hearts of all the knights it really was only _her_ orders they obeyed. She and her black knights had driven him away in a day and a half, leaving another day and a few hours for her to get Rumpelstiltskin to show up in Neverland, which she had succeeded in of course.

And now? Now she could resume her quest: To _kill _Snow White. And this time she would succeed, for there was nothing and no one anymore to hold her back, most certainly not _love_. Love was weakness, it had taken her a while to see the truth behind those words, but now she knew this, now she had her heart hurt deeply _twice_ because of it, she was able to move past it. The Evil Queen would not love anymore, not ever again.

Or maybe….maybe there would be one exception to the rule…for there was one person in her life she still cared for. _Cared_ for…maybe that was why she could make an exception for him…because she didn't _love_ him, she just _cared_ for him….He had never stood up against _her_ to protect her, not ever. And even though he had always told her he loved her, she had come to doubt this more and more with every time he just watched how _she_ had hurt her. And yet…she still cared for him…and she didn't want him to stay in the place he was now. It was time to go there and pay that woman a visit, to teach her who she was up against; _no one_ stole from the Evil Queen. That alone was reason enough for her to get him back,that and the fact that after all that had happened between them, after all she had gone through in her life, after all that he _hadn't_ protected her from…he still was her daddy….

**I am having some difficulty writing for this story. I know exactly what is supposed to happen, but I don't want to rush things, and so it becomes difficult to write. However I do hope you liked this chapter, it's kind of a filler but it needed to be written. Please leave a review and tell me what you think, past-Regina is obviously going to pay a visit to Wonderland…She has been absent for a couple of months though, would that change what happens in Wonderland? You tell me ****!**

**X**

**Metope**


	9. Chapter 9

**IX**

_**Wonderland past**_

"Well, I had at least expected _some_ guards to come after us." Jefferson mumbled as they were on their way back to the portal, the Queen now carrying a small box with her.

"I do not trust this situation." The queen answered. "There should have been guards indeed. The Queen of Hearts lets no one freely walk through her little kingdom."

"Oh, you are most certainly right about that, my dear. However for some visitors the Queen of Hearts makes an exception and she chooses to meet them herself." A woman in an elaborate red dress suddenly appeared right in front of them, blocking the way.

Jefferson felt how the Queen said a step back, startled by the sudden appearance of the woman, and he swore he could sense some sort of fear radiating from the woman as she eyed the queen in front of her, whose face was covered by an extravagant mask.

"Oh my, to what do we owe this…_great_..honor." The Evil Queen spoke in a mocking tone.

"Well, I believe you have something that is mine."

"I think that depends on how you look at it. Because the way _I_ see it, it is just as much mine as you think it is yours."

The Queen of Hearts huffed and abruptly moved the mask away from her face, at which a gasp left the Hatter's lips; no one had _ever_ seen the face of the Queen of Hearts. "Enough." She hissed.

And as much as Jefferson was taken aback by the sudden unexpected move, the Evil Queen seemed to be as unfazed as always. However her next words amazed the Hatter even more. "I already wondered how long you were going to keep up this little act of yours, _mother_." She stressed the last word a little longer, adding an extra mocking element to it.

"You have changed." The Queen of Hearts replied. "You seem to be less…_afraid_ of me. How is that I wonder."

"Oh simple mother…there is no way in which you can still hurt me. Not now I have finally back what belongs with _me_" The Queen gestured at the box in her hand. "And since you cannot hurt me anymore in anyway, there is no need to be cautious anymore. I'm as powerful as you are, even more, I would say…." She paused to theatrically look around her, as if she were taking in her surroundings. "It is…._adorable_ this little kingdom you created for yourself. It's like a big doll house, isn't it?" She then continued, a fake radiant smile appearing on the Queen's face, a grin that grew even wider as she saw how she was working on the other women's nerves with her comment, it was so easy to get her angry.

"Well, but I don't blame you, I guess you needed _some_thing to pass the time of your banishment, now did you?" The Queen went on and she let out a mocking laugh when her mother threw a fire ball at her, which she easily caught and reduced to a small puff of smoke.

"Now, if you would excuse me, I have more important places to be than your little house of cards." And with that the Queen started walking, Jefferson following closely. He expected the Queen of Hearts to prevent them from walking past her but no such thing happened. The Queen just moved past her, shoving the other woman's shoulder in the process. "Oh, sorry.." She said in a meaningless voice not even looking back at the woman whose face was now almost as red as her dress.

.

She watched the two adults walk towards the odd looking mirror and saw how her daughter stopped just before it and grabbed a small piece of one of the mushrooms. She heard the man that was with her warn her for the effects things in Wonderland could have, but her daughter brushed the warnings aside as she now opened the box and held the small piece of mushroom in the box. Within seconds smoke raised up out of the box and not much later her husband was standing where the box had been. The hug in which he engulfed her daughter was sickening. She decided to approach them.

"Oh well, I guess you have won this time, my dear." She said in a sickening sweet voice. "However, you didn't think of one thing."

"And what is that?" Her daughter asked, eyebrow arched, and the Queen of Hearts couldn't help but feel remotely proud of how her daughter was carrying herself so regally and gracefully yet showing she was not one to be messed with.

"Only the same amount of people that came through the glass can also return, I am surprised that your friend here didn't explain this to you."

The Hatter, who had been staring at the man who was apparently the Queen's father, all this time, now finally spoke. "I did – I did explain this to her." He breathed

"Oh yes, Jefferson, you did indeed. You were as kind as to explain that what I already knew. You see, I only brought you with me, so I could take my father back home, I'm sure you understand that now, do you?" The Queen asked in a voice as sweet as the voice her mother had just spoken with.

The Queen of Hearts laughed at the devastation that now showed on the Hatter's face. "I'm proud of you dear." She spoke to her daughter, and just for a moment she saw the mask of the Evil Queen fall and her daughter Regina appear, her daughter who would never stop craving for her mother's approval. The genuine smile on the Queen of Heart's face changed into an evil one at this discovery, now she got her. "I heard you have been absent from your kingdom for a couple of months…where had you gone off to, I wonder?"

She saw her daughter frown for only a second before the mask was back up, she too felt the game was changing. "That is none of your concern, but if you must know, I was away on…let's call it a business trip….when you rule over a kingdom as large as mine it's important to maintain a good relationship with all other realms and kingdoms that are open for trade…" A fake smirk graced her daughter's lips at her words. "Now we really must go." She said and with a flick of her wrist she nailed the Hatter to the ground and took her father's arm to lead him to the portal.

"Of course, a trade mission….and here I was thinking it had anything to do with a certain pirate…." The Queen of Hearts called after her, and by the way she saw how her daughter's body went rigid for only a second, she knew she was exactly right about the reason why her daughter had left.

Her daughter didn't look back as she continued to walk to the mirror. "Farewell, mother." She then spoke, and both were able to hear that her voice wasn't as strong as she had wanted it to be, adding even more to the suspicion that the Evil Queen had once again let herself become weak because of _love_… Good to know, the Queen of Hearts thought. Her daughter might think she wasn't able to hurt her anymore, but this new piece of information already proved that statement to be wrong.

_**A couple of months later - Neverland**_

Hook was standing at the steering wheel forcing his ship to sail towards the large portal that was in the middle of the sea. He had heard that the Evil Queen of the realm of the Enchanted Forest had returned, meaning the land was prosperous and wealthy again, as that fool of a King George no longer could ruin the kingdom. They could say much about the Evil Queen, but she most certainly knew how to make sure her kingdom stayed healthy and rich.

He had sworn never to go back to that place, as it reminded him too much of _her_, the nameless woman he had come to love almost a year ago. He couldn't believe it was also almost a year ago already that he had lost her to the sea. How could he have been so stupid as to think the laws of Neverland were just old wives' tales? He regretted it every single day. Yet now he had to return after all. He was running out of money and money was everything here in Neverland, without it you were as good as dead. And so he needed to go back there, find some work and earn some money.

However, it wasn't the only reason why he was going back. He could easily live some more months in Neverland before he really would be without money. It was a new piece of information that had come to him that had made him want to go now. Information that could help him get his revenge on the crocodile. Apparently the Evil Queen was holding a girl captive, a girl who had been a prisoner from the crocodile for several months. And the pirate was sure that if anyone knew where to find the dagger that held the crocodile's powers, it would probably be her. And so his new journey had begun, the first stop being the castle of this feared Evil Queen….

**An updated entirely situated in the past, but I felt it best to stop here, for the 'present day'-storyline has come to the moment where Regina needs to rescue Henry and I felt bad cutting that off somewhere because the chapter would become too long in that case.**

**So….what did you think of this chapter ****? Please leave a review :D!**

**X Metope**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: omg people we almost reached 100 reviews already with only 10 chapters up! I'm truly amazed by all your amazingly sweet and positive reactions to this story! It means a lot, and I hope you will like this 10th chapter :)!**

**X**

She swam as fast as she could clutching the satchel with the flower in it close to her chest. She didn't want to admit it, but if she was completely honest with herself she actually loved the feeling of swimming this fast. It felt so very similar to riding her horse when she had been younger, it gave her this immense feeling of freedom. If it weren't for the fish tail or the fact that she was now doomed to stay here forever, she would have actually liked being a mermaid.

She slowed down when she approached the beach she knew Greg and Tamara were holding Henry captive, carefully she swam closer, and she rose out of the water behind some rocks so she wouldn't be spotted by the two. Her heart dropped at what she saw, she had been away for one day, but it had been enough for Henry's entire demeanour to change. Had he still been spirited and angry when she had found him the first time, now he was apathetically lying against the tree that he was tied to, his skin pale and his eyes red as tears silently made their way down his little face. His lip was bleeding and the beginnings of a bruise around his eye were visible in the moments that the flames of a campfire would shine their light upon his face.

Had this made her boiling mad already, what happened next made her absolutely furious. Greg and Tamara were sitting at the fire, eating what appeared to be some kind of fruit. They were talking too quietly for the brunette to hear, but then Greg turned himself to Henry with an evil grin on his face.

"You hungry, kid?!" He asked loud and Henry replied with a small nod.

"Ooh, but shouldn't we do something about that then?" The man continued in a fake concerned voice as he now got up from the sand and walked over to Henry, the fruit in his hand.

"Shouldn't we give you a piece of this fruit then?" He asked, lowering the fruit to Henry, who couldn't grab it for his hands were tied. The boy truly was hungry and in need of food and the desire for that little piece of food was clearly visible in his eyes. "Wouldn't you like this?" Greg continued lowering the food even more until it almost touched Henry's lips, and just when the boy opened his mouth the man in front of him snatched the food away and let out a loud and evil laugh.

"Of course we shouldn't give _you_ food, you filthy boy, you are _her_ son. Now stop the crying and be quiet!" Greg kicked the boy against the shin before he walked back to the fire again. Leaving a sobbing, almost hysterical Henry behind who was desperately trying to muffle his cries unsuccessfully. Which caused Greg to snap his head into the boy's direction again wanting to yell at the boy to shut up. However just as he opened his mouth an enormous amount of water was splashed on top of him and his girlfriend, leaving him speechless.

When he looked at the boy he saw how his eyes were big and his mouth agape as the teenager was staring at something behind him. Quickly the man turned around and the moment he saw what had caused this unwelcome shower his expression mirrored the one of the boy.

"What the hell..." Tamara breathed as she tried to get up from the sand. However before both of them were fully standing strong arms of sea water wrapped themselves around their bodies and lifted them up high in the air. Fear now overtook the two humans as they stared at the creature in front of them. On the largest and highest wave they had ever seen – not to mention this close to the shore – was the Evil Queen herself controlling the water. However, her hair was longer, her magic different, and above all instead of legs she wore a tail?

"You know, Owen..." The woman–Queen–mermaid? started to speak. "When you came to our town unannounced, I wanted you gone. When you decided to torture me I wanted you dead, I wanted it to be dealt with as soon as possible, just a quick death spell and gone would be the trouble." Her voice was so light and sweet it sent chills down the two adults' spines. However her voice changed in the next few seconds, becoming louder, sharper and really revealing the anger and hatred the woman was feeling towards the two.

"But now, now you decided to kidnap my son, tie him to a tree, abuse him and let him _starve_, _now_ I want your death to be as slowly as possible! I want your suffering to be beyond what I or my son had to endure. I want you to feel excruciating pain, I want you to wish you would be dead, THAT is what I want to do to you right now, because NO ONE gets away with harming the people I love, DO YOU UNDERSTAND !" The woman bellowed, and in that moment both of them knew why the Evil Queen was a woman to be feared. The two adults barely remembered how to breathe, let alone speak as fear was paralyzing their entire being.

The waves of the sea had become restless, it had started raining and the wind was blowing hard, a typical storm was raging over the island, mirroring the rage Regina was feeling right now. "However..." The woman continued, her voice a little calmer again, to which the rain and wind became less intense as well. "I cannot do that. The Evil Queen would have done that, don't make a mistake by not believing that I _am_ capable of doing such things. But I have changed, I now see that this approach will not be the answer to this problem. Oh – but you can wipe that relieved look off your face, my dear Owen – " The woman continued when Greg let out a sigh of relieve just a little too loud. "I said I won't make you suffer nor kill you, but that doesn't mean I won't _harm_ you." And with one flick of her wrist the strong arms that were holding the two villains captive released their pray, causing the two to be slammed against the trees of the forest before falling unconsciously to the ground.

As soon as Regina had made sure the two wouldn't wake up for the next couple of hours she moved her attention to Henry, who was still staring at her, mouth agape, and with a hint of both admiration and fear in his eyes. Her expression immediately softened when she looked at her precious baby boy, her anger disappeared and with that the rain stopped falling down, the wind stopped blowing and the sea calmed down again. She conjured new water to move out of the wave she was holding herself up on, the water formed into the same shape as her arms and they moved forward over the beach towards her son. She saw how he backed away when the water came close.

"Henry.." She spoke softly staring into his eyes as their gazes met. "I'm not going to harm you, okay? You are safe with me, it's alright, I'm just going to use the water to release you from the tree and bring you to me, because as you can see...I can't really come to you myself..." She accompanied her last words with an apologetic smile, and when she received a small nod from the boy she let her magic do its work all the while keeping eye contact with her son.

It didn't take long for the ropes to break. "There, you are free now." She said in a calm voice. Do you think you can walk or do I need to help you?"

The boy shook his head as he pushed himself to his feet with a little help from the tree and limped towards the sea. Regina kept her arms of water close to the boy, so she could catch him in case he might fall. As he approached the water she lowered herself down from the large wave until she was sitting in the shallow water of the shore as she waited for her son to be close enough so she could hold him.

As soon as his feet touched the water he fell on his knees and Regina lunged forward best as she could to catch him and pull him into her. "Oh my boy, it's really you." Regina sighed as she felt her eyes water.

"Mommy..." Henry then sobbed, wrapping his arms even tighter around her body, paying no attention whatsoever to how his mom had changed. It was the first thing she had heard him say and it broke her heard even more. She had been mommy when he was _five_, it had changed to mom around the age of eight, after which it had been quickly followed by 'Evil Queen' and then 'Regina', and now he was calling her 'mommy' again...and it was still the wrong title. For her son wasn't five, he was eleven, and because of what he had been through he now appeared more to be her little five year old again than the teenager he had been before this, and that was far from right.

"It is okay, Henry. You're safe now, I am going to bring you back to the ship, where your family is waiting. We are all there, Emma, Snow, David, Hook...even Gold came with us to find you."

Henry didn't reply he just continued to hug his mother, holding on to her for dear life. After a few minutes just sitting like that, holding him close to her and softly rocking him back and forth as she rubbed soothing circles on his back she pulled out of the hug a little so she could look at him. She softly cupped his face in her hands, lifting his chin so his eyes met hers. "Henry sweetheart. We have to go now, we have to get you to the ship before the sun rises."

"How?" He spoke in a hoarse voice.

She smiled at him. "We're going to swim there honey. Underwater, to be precise." She now brought the satchel she had been holding to his attention and took the flower out of it. "If you eat this flower, you will be able to breathe under water, like me..."

It was only now that Henry took a good look at his mother's appearance. He was sitting on her lap or could you still speak of a lap if he was in fact sitting on a large tail that went from black to a bright blue? When he moved his head from her tail to her face he saw his mother's hair was longer too, and she had a small jewel on the left of her face accompanied by light blue eyeshadow.

"You're a mermaid." He then breathed, his eyes big and round with confusion and amazement.

"It's a long story." His mother's answer was, he frowned, again she was hiding things from him he thought. But his thoughts were proven wrong by her next words. "Which I will tell you when we get back to the ship. Now is not the time for talking, we need to get you to safety. I know you are hungry but there is plenty of food growing under the sea, so we can pick something up along the way. I should have brought something with me but I didn't think of that, things were a little hectic. I will also heal your lip and eye when we get to the ship, Gold never taught me any healing spells so he first needs to tell me how to do it." His mother explained and Henry just nodded dumbfounded at the casualty with what his mother talked about all this.

"Now sweetie, I need you to take a deep breath so I can drag you under water, once there you need to quickly eat the flower, and the moment you swallow it you will also be able to breathe again, do you understand?" When the boy nodded again Regina softly squeezed his hand in reassurance before she lifted him from her lap and rolled herself on her stomach. "You just walk to where the water reaches your waist, honey, I am right behind you." She spoke as she pushed herself forwards with her arms, for the water was too low here for her to swim. Henry did as he was told, all the while looking over his shoulder with his eyebrows slightly creased at the odd sight of his now mermaid-mother, making her way to deeper waters.

A soft sigh escaped his lips as he walked on and breathed in the fresh sea air. His mom had come to save him, she was a mermaid, he couldn't really believe it. He didn't _dare_ to believe it; every time he thought everything was alright something would happen and it all seemed to go terribly wrong again, so what would make this time different? Nothing, was the answer quickly given to that question as suddenly a handful of boys came running out of the woods.

Henry's body went rigid with fear as he turned around at the sound and saw them coming his way. And when he looked over to his mother who was still a few meters behind him he saw fear shining in her eyes as well. "Henry, take the satchel and do as I told you, dive in the sea, eat the flower and you will be able to breathe!" She said urgently before she threw the satchel his way. He quickly took it up in his hands but didn't continue his walk.

"Go! Now! I will be right behind you!" Regina yelled again. "I promise, Henry! I won't leave you!"

However her son didn't seem to comprehend her words as he just stared at her, paralyzed by fear as the lost boys approached them. "Henry, come on! Listen to me!" Regina yelled again and when he still didn't move she used her magic to push a wave his way causing him to tumble over into the water. The move seemed to work as he quickly got up again and started running deeper into the water, not looking back over his shoulder anymore. Regina continued to push herself forward, she needed to be in deeper waters if she wanted to be able to get rid of all the six boys. All the time she had her eyes fixed on her son, as she saw how the water came higher and higher until he dived into it and didn't come up anymore, she wished that meant he had used the flower.

She felt a hand grab her tail and violently swung her fins up and down making sure that her scales would hurt his hand. Her plan had worked when she heard a sharp hiss coming from the fool that had tried to touch her. She used the moment to turn on her back and magically push the boy away. However now she looked behind her fear clenched around her heart as she saw how they were all closer than she had thought.

"You are too late!" She yelled at them. "Henry has escaped already!"

"Oh, but he won't survive down there for long without you helping him, and once the flower's powers have faded we will be there to drag him out of the sea." One of the boys grinned viciously.

"Over my dead body." The mermaid growled and with another push she luckily suddenly found herself in a deeper part of the water. Now she was able to control the water into keeping the boys away from her. With a broad move of her arm she sent a strong wave towards the boys that threw them back on the beach. As she did however she felt a sharp pain run through her tail and when she lifted her tail she saw how one of the knives of the lost boys was sticking out of her tail.

Quickly she pulled it out and then made her way into the sea again, ignoring the paint hat was now spreading through her body, she had no doubt the knife had been poisoned. However it didn't matter now, she would worry about that once she had found Henry again. He was all that was important right now...

**UPDATE! What do you think? I absolutely suck at writing action so I hope it wasn't too bad x')? As some of you might have noticed I have deleted my other HQ story 'I left you' ...I felt I couldn't focus enough on it, and I didn't have a good plan for the story so I thought it best to dump that one for now... You'll have to do with this one for now, so tell me WHADDYA THINK ;)? **

**x**

**Metope**


	11. Chapter 11

**XI**

* * *

_**Neverland - Present**_

Henry didn't know where to look, so amazed he was by everything that he never knew lived under the sea. He would almost forget how hungry he was, yet the moment he accepted the sea fruit his mother gave him and took a bite, he was sure he had never tasted anything better.

He had been worried that she didn't make it at first when she didn't come like she said she would. But just as he started wondering if he should disobey his mother's orders and go back up to see if she needed help he saw her dive into the water. He had felt relieved to see his mother again, however the red trail that followed her and her pained face made him worry again as he swam towards her as best as he could. He may now be able to breathe under water, it hadn't come with a mermaid tail or anything of the sort, which made moving through the water quiet exhausting.

"Mom! Are you okay? What happened?"

"It's alright, Henry. It's nothing serious." Regina said as she swam towards her son and pulled him into a hug. "Thank god you are alright, you were really brave."

"But you are hurt." He ignored her compliment, knowing it was her way to distract him from the situation.

She now moved away from him a little as she let her hands rest on his shoulders. "It's just one of the knives of the lost boys that hit my tail, I'll just create a bandage from seaweed to stop the bleeding and then we are good to go." And she immediately swam down to pick some seaweed and skilfully wrapped it around her tail.

When she swam back to him again she moved her tail in front of his eyes. "See? As good as new." She smiled. "Now let's find you some food and when you're not hungry anymore we must go."

He watched her curiously as she looked around her until her eyes rested on an odd looking sort of tree with big purple fruit growing on it, similar to apples. "Ah, you will like these." She spoke more to herself than to him as she swam off to go get them. It intrigued him to watch his mother swim with her long tail.

"Will you tell me what happened now?" He asked when she returned and he accepted the fruit. She let out a short nervous laugh at his question and averted her eyes as she wove a hand through her long hair. It confused him, she never did that, she always made sure he would not know whenever she felt insecure or uncomfortable.

"Uhm, is it alright if I tell you when we reach the ship? The sun is getting up soon and we need to be there by then." Seeing how this was not entirely an excuse not to tell him what had happened, but that she was really speaking the truth he nodded.

"Alright." She said when he had finished the fruit. "Now you have to swim to my back and then wrap your arms around my neck and shoulders as tight as you can. Mermaids can swim really fast, so we will be there in no time, yet it also means you have to hold on tight, you understand?"

He said he did, however it wasn't until Regina was swimming on full speed that he understood what she had meant with "Mermaids can swim really fast". They were going so fast that he couldn't even see anything around him, it all went by in a blur, which was also caused by the fact that it was incredibly dark down here. After awhile he felt how she slowed down, he felt how her chest heaved under his weight and the exercise of swimming so fast, and eventually she stopped and she gently tapped on his hands as to tell him he could let go of her.

"Wow mom, that was so cool! We went so fast! You swam like, faster than an airplane that's for sure!" Henry laughed and it earned him a smile in return from his mother, however it didn't entirely reach her eyes.

"I am glad you liked it, Henry." She said as she took his hand and swam towards a nearby rock.

"Mom, why are we stopping?" Henry then asked, as he looked around but didn't see any ship. "I don't see the Jolly Roger yet."

"I need to rest for a little. We're almost there, I promise, but I think you will need to swim the rest of the on your own, I'll swim right next to you." She said leaning her back against the rock as she closed her eyes for a second.

"It's your tail, isn't it? It's where the knife stabbed you, it's far worse than you said!" Henry said in an accusing voice.

"Henry – "

"No, don't say Henry to me in that voice, I know that voice. You use that voice when you don't want me to continue asking questions because you know I am right but you don't want to admit it. But I'm not a kid anymore you know!? And you are hurt, and you should have told me!"

Regina opened her eyes and blinked a few times as she looked at her son who was scolding her for her behaviour, his face red with anger and probably held back tears – or maybe he was crying already, it was hard to tell under water . She opened her mouth, but words didn't come out as her heart broke for her crying boy, who in that moment did not resemble the boy who had cried in her arms on the beach earlier anymore, but was her eleven year old son, her son who was trying to protect his mother. "I'm sorry" She then managed to say as she opened her arms to invite him for a hug. "Come here..."

He immediately flung himself into his mother's arms and reduced himself to her little boy again. "I just don't want you to leave me, I don't want you to die." He said in a small voice.

"Oh Henry, " She sighed. "I am going to be honest with you then, because that is what you want, and the truth is that I'm not feeling well at all. I – I think the knife was poisoned, but –" She quickly continued when she saw fear settle on Henry's face. "I am fairly sure Rumpel will be able to create an antidote, so I will be alright. It only means that you I can't take you on my back for the last part, alright?"

"You won't die?" He asked her in a small voice, and she smiled at him as reassuringly as she could.

"I wouldn't dare." She joked. "Now, let's go."

* * *

_**Fairytale Land – Past**_

She didn't move, she didn't say anything, she didn't breathe; she just stared in the mirror while the genie called her name from another one. There he was, he was in her castle – in a part of the castle he wasn't allowed to be, but that was not the point. He looked the same, exactly the same as the last time she had seen him. His dark short hair, the stubble that had stroked her cheek that one time that he had kissed her, the black pirate coat that gave him his charm, and the silver hook on his left hand...it was him no doubt...And he was standing in the cell block, talking to that girl, probably trying to get her into helping him kill the imp.

That thought woke her out of her thoughts, he could ruin everything! For a moment she had been weak again, but it wouldn't happen again. He needed be removed from that cell block fast as possible. Any other man she would have killed, however _he_, he could be useful to her in another way... And so she turned around to face the genie. "Tell the huntsman I need him here right now, it cannot wait!" She said in a stern voice. The genie nodded and only seconds later the huntsman entered the throne room.

"You called for me your majesty?"

"Yes. There is a man in the cell block as we speak, trying to _steal_ my prisoner, or whatever other plan he has with her. I need you to make sure she will stay unharmed. But that is not all." She said when the huntsman nodded and started to make his way out of the room already. "_He_ is the man that I think is suited to kill _her_. I want you to explain the situation to him, and then sent him through the hat with the instructions to kill her. He already killed Claude, so he can take that fool with him, which will allow him to return with her body. Do you understand?"

"Yes your majesty."

"Then go now." She ordered him in an icy voice.

_**Wonderland – Past**_

The pain he felt was excruciating, and just as he thought it could not become any worse, she squeezed a little more and the pain increased. "Who sent you to kill me! Who!?" She yelled at him, as he stared up in her stone cold eyes.

"I am here at your daughter's behest." He managed to choke out and it was interesting for him to see how her mask slipped for just a moment, showing him that she was shocked and hurt by his words, before it slipped back in place.

"Regina? Regina wants me dead?" She asked, her voice was softer now, yet it still sent chills down his spine.

"Apparently she does. Why don't you just kill me, now? I failed obviously." He could not stand this pain any longer.

"Oh no, pirate, you are far too valuable to be killed _now_." The woman then spoke with an evil grin on her face as she released her grip on his heart and he stumbled back.

"Tell me, pirate. Do you and my daughter work together..._know_ each other for a long time now?"

To the Queen of Heart's surprise the man shook his head. "I didn't even know her true name until you just told me, _your majesty_." He spoke the last words in a mocking voice. "I have never seen her in my life, it was one of her guards that send me on this.._quest_..."

The Queen nodded. "I see..." She was fairly sure this was the pirate with whom Regina had sailed to Neverland, however seeing as the pirate was not lying she had apparently managed very well to keep her identity a secret to him. A smirk appeared on her lips as she thought about all the opportunities she now had. If she knew Regina – and she did – then even though she would tell herself otherwise, she still loved the pirate, meaning she had a weakness now, a weakness that could be exploited if necessary...

"Pirate, you are going to take me back with you to your land. I will appear to be dead, and when my daughter will be close enough...I will rip her heart out..."

The pirate's eyes widened at the Queen's light hearted voice when she said this, as if it was the most ordinary thing in the world to rip the heart out of your own daughter. For a second he felt sorry for the Queen, but that thought was replaced just as quickly again when he figured that if he would not cooperate it would probably be _his_ heart that would be ripped out. He didn't even know this Evil Queen, what would he care if anything would happen to her? He didn't, and so he nodded to the Queen in agreement, a smirk on his face. "Well, let's go then."

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**Dun dun duuuuunnnn. **

**Thanks to all of you who reviewed on the previous chapter, I was very insecure about that one and your reviews made me smile :D! Now please be so kind as to review on this one as well :D?**

**x**

**Metope**


	12. Chapter 12

**XII**

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_**Neverland - Present**_

The crocodile wasn't back yet. He had gone out to get the things necessary for the potion that would change Regina back into a human again, telling them that he would have everything and would be back before they would have to leave. Yet it was almost morning already and he wasn't there, the only good thing in that perspective was that Regina and Henry hadn't returned yet either. However on itself that fact was a thing he worried about even more.

"She will be fine, they can arrive any moment now, I'm sure of it." When he looked to his right he saw that David had joined him watching out over the sea, hanging on the ship's railing in a similar way to himself.

He wanted to ask the prince how he could be so sure, but then his eye caught a spot in the sea where bubbles came up from out of the water. "That must be them!" He heard David say who saw the same. Yet the smiles on their faces disappeared when they saw how it was indeed the boy that surfaced, however his eyes were filled with fear as he had the greatest difficulty to swim towards the ship. All of it caused by his mother who was heavily leaning on him, her right arm draped over his shoulder so that he could pull her through the water a little easier because she would lean on his back. She tried to help him swim with her left arm, as her tail only moved ever so slightly, something clearly preventing her from swimming properly. The two men yelled at the boy and his mother, Henry waved at them in return the moment he saw them, relief on his face. Regina, however, didn't look up to the ship, Henry seemed to be saying something to her, yet her head didn't move, as if she were saving all her strength to just make it to the ship.

David was the first to react as he turned around away from the railing. "Emma!" He yelled at his daughter who was preparing a makeshift breakfast of just a lot of fruit with her mother. "Get the lifebuoy, they're back!" By the look on her father's face both Emma and Snow knew that the rescue had not gone without problems and so both women quickly got up as Emma did what her father said.

The lifebuoy landed close enough to Regina and Henry so that Henry could reach for it with his free arm. "Mom, you go first." He spoke, and it was only at his words that Regina finally looked up as she shook her head.

"I– I can't be out of the water for long, Henry. And you n – need to be safe, first." It cost her great strength to speak, the poison of the knife was doing its work well making her weak and feverish, and the pain in her tail made it almost impossible to swim.

"No, you have to come with me. I don't see Mister Gold, he must be somewhere else on the ship, you need to get to him to get better. You said you wouldn't leave me!"

"H–Henry, just go. I will go after you, I promise. You must go first, you can prepare some sort of large bucket to serve as a basin where I can the end of my tail in so I keep contact with the sea water, alright?"

"Promised?" The boy asked, not entirely sure if his mother was just tricking him into going or that she was sincere.

"Promised." She smiled a weak smile to him. "Now let's get this buoy around you." And she took the buoy from him, all the while leaning on him with her other hand as she moved it over his head and helped his arms through it. When she was done she gave a short pull to the rope indicating that Hook and David could start pulling and so she saw how her son was being pulled away from her towards the ship. Finally he was safe, she thought. It was only seconds after that thought that she realised that without Henry she was unable to keep herself up swimming in the sea. It simply cost her too much energy and it hurt too much to keep her tail moving fast enough for her to stay at the surface of the sea. Henry, who was now halfway up in the air saw how his mother started to sink and yelled at her in panic before he turned his attention to the two men that were lifting him up. "Hurry up! She's hurt she can't swim by herself! She will sink and you won't be able to get the buoy to her anymore!"

Both men listened to the boy's pleas as they started to pull the rope in faster and faster. "What happened?" Hook yelled down to the boy.

"The lost boys attacked us, mom protected me by using magic but one of the boys' knife stabbed her tail."

"Those knives are poisoned." Hook immediately said in understanding fear settling in his heart. "She needs the antidote or she will die."

They pulled the rope in even faster and once the boy was onboard Hook moved quickly away from Henry so that the boy could receive a hug from his mother and grandparents, it gave him time to get what he needed. Henry started crying as soon as he felt Emma's arms embracing him, and he buried his face in her coat. "It's okay Henry, you are safe now. We've got you." Emma tried to soothe him, however her own tears caused her voice to be less comforting than she wanted it to be.

"You have to save my mom as well." Henry replied as he wrapped his arms tighter around Emma, determined to never let go.

"I think Hook is taking care of that right now." Snow spoke and she pointed at Hook who had gone down to his headquarters moments before and now returned with a satchel in his right hand.

"What are you going to do?" Henry asked in a small voice. "You need to help her!"

"I will, lad." Hook spoke and Henry saw the pirate was sincere about his words. "The berries in this satchel will heal your mother. The effect will be almost immediate so I just need to get them to her and all will be fine."

"But how will you get it to her, Hook? You can't breathe under water, and she can't swim up to us." Snow asked worried.

"I will just have to hold my breath as long as I can." The captain spoke with a serious face, the slight crease in his eyebrows betraying that he wasn't too sure that plan would work either.

"I can do it!" Henry then piped up. "I can still breathe under water, I can take the berries to her and tell her to eat them."

"Absolutely not!" Snow and Charming said in unison. "We've just got you back, it's not safe down there, Henry." His grandmother continued.

"Why? It's only a little dark down there, that's all, and we need to save her, we're wasting too much time already."

"No. Henry, we cannot let you go down there again. There is much more to fear than darkness, sea creatures and a sea witch for example." David spoke but the boy just shook his head, bringing his hand to his ears as to indicate he wasn't listening.

"NO!" He yelled. "She is my mom! And she saved me, and now I need to save her! I am going, whether you are okay with it or not!" And with that he broke free from Emma's hug, snatched the satchel out of Hook's hand and climbed onto the railing.

However just as he was about to jump he felt too strong arms wrapping around his waist and preventing him from jumping. "Grandpa let me go!" The boy yelled furiously.

"No! You will not go down there!" David yelled back in a stern voice. "I will not – "

He was interrupted by his blonde daughter who stepped towards him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Let him go." She simply said.

"But Emma – "

She shook her head. "Henry is right. Regina helped us, she saved Henry and now it is she who needs to be saved, and since Henry is the only one who can do that right now we need to let him go. I trust him and once Regina has eaten the berries Hook said she will be good as new again, so she can protect him from any danger that might come."

"Emma – " Snow now started.

"No, don't you Emma me!" The blonde said more forcefully. "I am his mother, I and Regina, _not_ you. And if I decide he can go down there that is my decision as his _mother_, and you don't have a say in that, do I make myself clear!"

Snow said a step back in shock and David replied by releasing Henry from his grasp. The boy sent a wide smile to his blonde mother in return. "Thanks mom...I love you."

"I love you too Henry." Emma smiled back at her son. "Now, go safe your mom, and come back safely with her, okay?"

The boy nodded and Emma inhaled a sharp breath when he jumped and she saw how his brown hair disappeared behind the ship, a splash being heard moments later. She had done the right thing here, right?

* * *

_**Fairytale land past**_

He stared at her with wide eyes, his mouth agape and he wasn't sure for how long he was standing in that position already. It was _her_, there she was! Saying goodbye to her dead mother – or actually she _thought_ Cora was dead. He could not believe his eyes, he almost wanted to go to her and touch her, just so he would know for sure that it was her, yet he remembered in time that he was not supposed to be here so he would better keep himself hidden.

Unbelievable. The mysterious woman he had fallen in love with, the woman he had seen becoming a mermaid before his eyes – something that for as far as he knew could not be reversed – was standing only meters away from him, as a _human_, with legs, and not only that it was _she_ who was the feared Evil Queen of the Enchanted Forest.

He frowned, this knowledge made him see all the things she had told him about her past in a whole different life. How she had felt trapped and alone in her life, how her husband didn't care for her, how he only used her as a trophy wife – She had been talking about the king. Now he understood why she had been so keen on keeping her identity a secret to him. She was the Queen, the _Evil_ Queen. The Queen of whom was said that she was incapable of any kind of love. Had it all been a façade? Had she ever truly cared for him, or was it true that she could not love?

He thought back to when the huntsman had given him the orders to kill the Queen of Hearts. _The Queen has seen you through her mirror, she thinks you are the one who can kill someone for her_. The man had said, meaning that she had known he was here, she had recognized who he was without a doubt, yet she had not chosen to speak to him himself.

Was she still mad at him, thinking he had tricked her back in Neverland? _You tricked me, you knew who I was all this time!_ She had yelled at him, it now made sense what she had meant by that. He shook his head, no, if she had really loved him she would have gone to him herself. His eyes flashed with anger, that witch, she might have yelled at him that he had tricked her, but in the end it was _she_ who had tricked _him_. She deserved to die, what woman would send a man to kill her own _mother_ anyways?

He directed his gaze back to her, _Regina_. However, all the anger he had felt moments before, all his previous thoughts disappeared when he looked at her tear stained face, and listened to her words.

"I'm sorry, mother. Without you, I never would've become the person I am now. But I had no choice. I _had_ to do this. After you killed Daniel, you told me something I've never forgotten. Love is weakness. It took me quite a while to see the truth in those words. But now, now I have had my heart broken twice, I see how you were always right. And the thing is mother, you are my weakness, because I _love_ you."

He didn't listen to anymore that she said to Cora, his heart had stopped when she said to Cora how her heart had been broken twice. He knew about the love she had lost before she had been somehow forced into marrying her husband – who turned out to be the king. Meaning the other one to break her heart could only have been him.

_He_ had broken her heart, it didn't matter that it hadn't been on purpose maybe, the thing was that he had done it. So it was his fault that she had drifted back to the darkness again. He looked at her again and it was only now he was looking, _really _looking that he saw the pain that was radiating from her entire body. Loneliness, betrayal, fear, hurt, it was all there, it spoke from her eyes, from her creased eyebrows, from the waver in her voice and her trembling hands. It made him change his mind in mere seconds, he could not let her die, he had to make this right.

He was just about to make his presence known when Regina moved forward to place the rose she had been holding to her mother's chest. He was too late, even if he would come out of his hiding place now Cora would have enough time to rip her heart out. However, she didn't. He exhaled a breath he didn't know he had been holding when Regina came back up again, unharmed and walked away closing the doors behind her.

He immediately moved out from his hiding place walking towards the still open coffin and helped Cora to sit up straight. "What happened?" He asked, trying to look unfazed by what he had just seen and heard.

"A change of plans. When the time is right we will go after her so I can reunite with my daughter." She merely said and he smirked at her words. Great, he thought, all he had to do was stay close to Cora now and she would lead him back to Regina, the woman he _loved_, and he would save her. He would apologize, and mend her broken heart.

* * *

**So...I'm having a tough time at the moment writing this story, I don't know why, but I find it difficult to write about how Henry is rescued or something x') It's difficult to write all these chapters in which Hook and Regina are separated x') ! Please leave a review and tell me what you think ****?**

**x**

**Metope**


	13. Chapter 13

"You're back, finally!"

"Dearie, I don't see what justifies your impatience, to my eyes there is no sign of Regina or Henry."

"That is because you were too slow, you bloody crocodile." Hook growled in reply as he set a step towards the imp."You better tell me that you have the ingredients you need?"

"Of course I do. The better question is whether I want to give them to you, now you are treating me so unkindly."

"You better give the damn potion to me, crocodile or I – "

"That is enough!" Snow interfered by stepping in between the two man. "Gold, Regina has been injured by the Lost Boys, she can't swim anymore, Henry has now taken a medicine to her. You must forgive Hook for his behaviour he is just...worried..."

The Dark One frowned. "How long ago did this happen?"

"I think he left us about ten minutes ago, they should have come back by now." Emma answered, worry in her voice as she started to doubt whether she had made the right decision into letting Henry go.

"I see...then let's hope the boy does his job soon, for the powers of the flower that makes him able to breathe under water won't last much longer..."

"The choice is yours, my dear! You come with me and I will let the boy go and will save you. You refuse, then you will die, and so does the boy..." Even though Regina felt so extremely weak that she almost passed out, she had still enough energy left to feel an intense hatred towards the sea witch who was holding her son captive with one of her tentacles wrapped around him.

"Mom!" Henry cried desperately. The constraints of the tentacle reminded him of when he was tied to the tree by Greg and Tamara and he started to panic.

"Y – You leave my son out of this!" Regina breathed. "H- He did nothing wrong!"

The witch smirked as she crawled closer to Regina. "Oh but he is necessary for this bargain. You see, if you go with me _willingly_ I will let the boy go and will let him return to his land with his family unharmed. However, if you don't come with me I will make sure that none of your friends or family will ever see anything else than the bottom of the sea before they close their eyes _for good_..." An evil cackle emerged from her throat as she revelled in her own evilness. "You see, that way I secure that you won't run away again...no one defies me. No one can escape from _me_."

Regina sighed. And her eyes shifted from the witch to Henry. Her heart broke at the fear she saw in his eyes. She needed to let him go, that was out of the question. However she was still trying to find a way for them both to escape. Her eyes wondered from his eyes to the satchel he was still holding in his right hand, it held the antidote to the poison that was weakening her body. If only she could get to those berries, she would instantly be cured and since her magic was much stronger than Ursula's they would both be able to escape...If only she could get close enough, or if _Henry_ could get to her...and that is when an idea struck her.

"Alright, you win." She sighed as convincingly as she could, and she saw that Ursula bought the act when a victorious grin split her face in half. "I thought so..."

"But!" Regina continued. "I will go with you only on one condition."

"Oh please enlighten me." The witch spoke amused.

"Please let my son give me one last hug?" She thought she was a marvellous actress when she even managed to blush a little, as if she were embarrassed by having to ask the Sea Witch for such a sign of 'weakness'.

Ursula curled her black lips in an mocking grin, and then nodded. "I think I could do that, yes." And to Regina's relief she saw how the black tentacle uncurled itself from Henry's body, the latter immediately swimming towards his mother. When she looked him in the eyes she saw that her clever son had already figured out why she had asked for a hug, as he got the berries out of the satchel, unseen by Ursula.

As soon a she wrapped her arms around Henry he moved his hand to her and pushed the berries in her mouth. She swallowed them and it was as if a burst of energy ran through her body, restoring her strength _and _magic.

In one move she pulled Henry behind her back with her left hand and sent a strong beam of magic towards Ursula with her right. The witch growled in frustration and shock as the purple beam hit her right in the chest, pushing her several meters back. The green bolt of magic that she sent to Regina herself afterwards was easily deflected by the brunette, as she now swam closer to Ursula, all the while firing balls of purple energy at Ursula's pathetic guards.

"You betrayed me, you broke our deal!" The Sea Witch seethed. "That will cost you much! No one breaks deals with me!"

Regina chuckled. "I'm sorry dear, that one liner is already taken, you might want to find another one!" And with yet another strong magic spell she pushed Ursula back again, seeing how the Sea Witch's back collided with a large rock.

"Now I suggest you leave me and my son and everyone else on the ship alone. You will let them sail home _unharmed_ and I do not want to see you _ever_ again, because I _will_ kill you. Do I make myself clear!" Regina growled.

Fear crossed Ursula's face before a joyless smirk appeared. "And you think you will survive in the other land, like _this_? You will be cut in half before you know it, dear."

"That's not true!" Henry now yelled but when he looked at his mother he saw in her eyes that the sea witch was right, and most of all, that his mother had no intent at all to come with them.

"No, mom..." He said devastated, and Ursula let out a low mocking laugh at the sight of mother and son. "Well, that is settled then. I think I won't be lying when I say 'We'll meet again', Regina." And with that the Witch disappeared in a puff of green smoke.

Regina sighed in relief the danger seemed to be gone for now. Henry was still behind her and she couldn't bring herself to look at him and the hurt she would probably see on his face, and so she just started talking while her back was facing him. "I'm sorry Henry. But I simply cannot go with you. There is no way to turn me back human, and Ursula is right, it is not safe for me in Storybrooke. There is no place where you can hide me, and when people will find me that will bring everyone in danger. Do you understand?"

"Henry?" She asked when he didn't reply, but still no answer was coming her way. Worried that something was wrong she turned around and she gasped when she saw how her boy was now lying on his back on the bottom of the sea, eyes closed.

"No, Henry!" She cried out and she approached him. The flower must have stopped working she thought as she took him in her arms. With all the power she had in her and a little help of magic she started to make her way to the surface, making sure she would be able to jump out of the water right onto the ship like she had done when she had first become a mermaid.

She could already hear the panicked cries of Snow and Emma the moment she was out of the water, and he was out of her arms as soon as she carefully landed on the ship.

"Henry! O dear god, is he still breathing? What did you do!" Emma yelled at Regina as she was hovering above her son.

"Emma, go away!"Snow snapped. "He isn't breathing, we have to use CPR! And don't throw false accusations around before you know what happened, not everything is Regina's fault!"

Regina was taken aback by how her arch nemesis was defending her against her own daughter no less, yet she wasn't so sure if Snow was right in doing so. Was it really not her fault? If Henry hadn't gone to save her he wouldn't be her right now. Tears started to fall down her cheeks as she saw how Snow was performing CPR on her little boy, pushing on his chest and blowing air into his lungs. However he did not move, not in the slightest.

She felt how someone lifted up her tail and put it down again in a large bucket filled with sea water before they crouched down next to her and pulled her towards them. "Are you alright, love?"

"It's my fault." She sobbed as she let herself being held by Killian. He gave her as much comfort and security as she could find in this situation. "He had just told me about the berries and then Ursula came, she captured him and said she would only free him if I would go with her. I made the deal, yet when Henry hugged me I ate the berries and I broke the deal by attacking her. I– I broke the deal and now this is the price, Killian! Henry is dying because of me, _again_!" And she couldn't hold her tears back any longer as she broke down in his arms, her head buried into his chest.

"Sssh, love, it will be alright, everything will be alright. This is not your fault." Hook spoke softly to her as he stroked her long black hair. However, Emma, who picked up on his words whirled around in anger at his voice.

"This is not her fault? How is this _not_ her fault! If she hadn't been such a stupid mermaid Henry wouldn't have been in the water in the first place!"

"She did bring him to you again, without Regina it would have taken us days to get to that place, he would have been in the hands of Pan already!" Hook defended Regina immediately.

"Doesn't change the fact that she let him drown! And then _I_ am the unfit mother? Well excuse me, but this has proven that a mother with two legs is clearly more capable of taking care of Henry than a stupid mermaid!" The blonde raged.

And then Regina had had enough. She abruptly pushed herself away from Hook and turned around to face Emma. "Now you listen to me Miss Swan. If it weren't for you and your extremely unrealistic idea of the world in which everything is about you, in which everything has to do with you, and in which everyone has to run things by you before you allow them to pass with a minimal interference, since no interference at all is out of the question, I wouldn't have been a mermaid IN THE FIRST PLACE! So I suggest you shut that pathetic little mouth of yours and you focus on what is really important right now, which is OUR SON!"

Regina couldn't even feel the satisfaction of the stunned look that the blonde had on her face after her outburst, she was too angry. Nor could the equally stunned looks of Snow, David or Gold bring her any joy. It was only when she heard the faintest of sounds, the smallest of voices speak that one little word which was in that moment clearly directed only to her, that she could let go of the anger inside of her as a smile appeared on her face.

"Mom?"

**I'm still alive, don't worry! I hope you liked this update ****! I am terribly sorry that it took me so long to update. I have a lot of pain in my arms again since Thursday, so it takes me longer to write. I hope you all can forgive me, I'm still writing on both this story and 'Where do I belong', it might just take me a little longer to update!**

**Now please leave a review and also tell me...HookedQueen baby yes or no? IF I let it happen it won't be until a little later, because first need to get rid of that mermaid tail, but still, I'm curious to know what you, my dear loyal lovely readers think ^^!**

**x**

**Metope**


	14. Chapter 14

**XIV**

* * *

**Storybrooke - Past**

* * *

Her hair was short, as was her skirt. She had her hands stuffed deep into her pockets in an attempt to keep herself warm as she was quickly walking down the pavement, her dark eyes mirroring an intense sadness.

"Is she broken enough?" He asked, his eyes not leaving her. He was surprised to find himself less upset about the state she was in than he had thought he would be. He had expected it to be harder to see her hurting this much, but time had reduced his feelings, or so it seemed.

"Not quite." Was the older woman's reply.

He frowned at her words. "You're planning on helping your cause a little then, I assume?" He didn't like it when she nodded.

. - . - .

"Well aren't you mom of the year?" He greeted the witch as she walked towards him. It had been a couple of days since they had arrived to this odd little town, and he still hadn't had contact with Regina. Cora had forbidden him to leave the ship, not that he would have listened to that, but then Regina had disappeared, and he had no clue of where she had gone.

"Did she..._forgive_ you?" He really hoped Cora would say no, he really hoped Regina had resisted her mother, that she had not walked right into her mother's trap. But all hope vanished when the witch gleefully told him that her daughter had indeed forgiven her.

He sighed. Now he had all the more reason to try to find her, he had to try to change her mind.

.-.-.-.-.

"Hello _Hook_." She spit out his name with so much venom that he was slightly taken aback. He had expected their first real reunion since what happened in Neverland to go differently.

"I take it my mother sent you? My _mother_...my mother who _you_ were supposed to kill! Imagine my surprise when she made her still ongoing existence known to me a few days ago."

"I needed to get to you...Cora would help me with that...you were the _Queen_..." He said incoherently, not sure where to start. Accuse her of keeping her identity hidden? Explain why he hadn't killed Cora? Apologize for what had happened in Neverland?

"I _am_ the Queen, mind your words, _pirate_!" She hissed. "Now, do you have her things? She needs her things!"

He smirked. "For a queen your words have an awful great resemblance to those of a maid, your_ majesty_. A maid, sent on a mission to retrieve the belongings of the lady she works for."

He saw a flicker of insecurity cross her face, and when she didn't speak he knew he had struck something and he continued. "I only worked together with your mother because it was the only way that I could get closer to you, Regina." It felt strange to both of them that he now finally was able to address her with her given name. "You have to believe me when I tell you that I had no idea who you were back in Neverland. I did not betray you, I sincerely thought the laws of Neverland were just old wives tales. If not, I would never have taken you there, because...because I loved you, _love_ you." He corrected himself. She still didn't speak as she was just staring at him, her face a mix between anger, pain and fear.

"I didn't know your mother was...you know...how she is...so...cruel. I am sorry for bringing her here and it worries me to know that you are working together with her again. She isn't good for you Regina. She only pretends to care about you, when truly she doesn't. She is up to no good, Regina. She will only hurt you." When he set a step closer to Regina she snapped out of the trance that had seemed to keep her captive.

Wrong move. He saw he had lost, the moment her face grew stoic again, absent of all emotions. "Stop it." She hissed. "I do not wish to hear from you any further!"

"You're only getting angry with me because deep down you know I'm speaking the truth. She doesn't have her heart, Regina, even if she wanted to she cannot love you!"

Regina shook her head. "What do you know about love, really? Why do you even care?"

It had been the wrong thing for her to say as he felt anger rise. "What _I_ know about love? I know that I _loved_ Milah, I know that I love _you_! And that means I don't want to see you being hurt or even worse, _killed_! Because either one of those, if not both is going to happen if you continue to work with your mother, Regina!"

She let out a mocking laugh. "Don't be ridiculous. You don't love me." And in an instant her mocking grin disappeared and changed into a sad smile. "No one can love me, love is weakness...Only mother truly cares about me..."

He realized he couldn't get through to her like this, Cora had left to big a mark on her already. He couldn't handle loosing yet again the woman he loved. He needed to protect himself this time. "The choice is yours, Regina...but don't expect me to pick up the pieces once your mother has broken you even more than you already are." With that he turned around and walked away from her.

He had tried to brace himself for this. Knowing it would inevitably happen, yet it still hurt. A frustrated growl left his lips as he lifted himself of the ground, the books that had landed on him when the witch had shoved him into the bookcase falling on the ground.

_"Love is weakness, Hook."_ The witch had told him as she left. _"My daughter learned that lesson the hard way, but now she finally knows. Did you really think she would choose __you__ above me?" _And with that the two women had left. Regina had appeared shocked for only a moment by her mother's actions. Glancing over to Hook for a second before she turned back around and followed her mother like the obedient daughter she tried to be.

Maybe she was right. Maybe love was weakness indeed. He wouldn't make that mistake again. From now on Regina meant as much to him as he apparently meant to her. She had distracted him from his path long enough. It was time to resume his quest for the crocodile. It was time to find out what this New York place was...

* * *

**Neverland – Present**

She pushed herself over the deck of the ship towards her son as well as she could, cursing the fact she didn't have legs once more. "Henry!" She cried as she enveloped him in her arms. "I am so, _so_ sorry, baby! I failed you yet again!"

"Mom, it's okay. I am alright, it is not your fault!" Henry spoke softly. "I love you."

She started to cry even harder at his words. "I love you too baby!" She sobbed. "I'm sorry."

"The only thing you have to be sorry for is the fact that you want to leave me..." Henry then said in a small voice. "...and because you still haven't told me how you can be a mermaid."

Regina now moved away from Henry a little, a soft chuckle leaving her lips at his words. "Well, I think now is as good a time as any to explain everything to you. Why don't you go sit with Miss – Emma, I'm sure she would like that."

Henry nodded and quickly moved over to sit against Emma who quickly pulled him into a tight hug, pressing a kiss into his hair as she sent a thankful look to Regina and mouthed an I'm sorry, for her earlier behaviour. Regina forced a small smile of her own, not liking the fact that she couldn't hold her son close to her anymore at all, and then moved back to sit with Killian.

"Henry...do you know about the laws of Neverland?" She started and she looked down to her hands when the boy of course shook his head. Here went nothing. She absolutely craved for Killian's securing strong arms around her, yet in order to not upset Henry immediately that wasn't the smartest thing to do. Something Hook seemed to understand as well.

"Well, " She continued. "The thing is. Peter Pan wants to let this island being ruled by children. The lost boys being his army. Therefore it is important that they stay loyal to him and no one else, and so he made up the laws of Neverland to secure that his greatest enemies cannot steal his soldiers away..."

"Grown ups.." Henry spoke, and a smile appeared on Regina's lips, he was such a smart boy.

"Yes Henry, adults. They could serve as a parent to the lost boys and 'steal' them from Peter. Pirates are allowed of course, because they usually aren't father-material. But women is another story."

"Because woman can be like Wendy in the story? They can be the mothers to the lost boys?" Henry asked.

"Exactly. And so Peter made Neverland so that it prevented any pirate from ever bringing a woman suited to be a mother to this land."

"What did he do?" Henry asked, he loved fairytales and stories and this sounded more like a story than a real event in that moment.

"Well, if a woman is a pirate's true love, that usually means she would go with the pirate out of love. Those are the women Pan thinks to be the most dangerous of all, they are willing to travel to this dangerous land only so they can be with the man they love. They are driven by love, and that is one of the greatest qualities a mother can have. So he cursed the seas of Neverland and made it so that the moment the true love of a pirate touches the water in any form, she turns into a mermaid and is taken by the Sea Witch Ursula to live in the depths of the sea. In that way making sure that the pirate and his love can never be together again..."

She decided to stop here and wait to see if Henry would connect the rest of the dots himself. She knew her clever boy did indeed understand what she was implying when his eyes went wide and his mouth fell open.

Hook, who clearly enjoyed watching how Henry was realising that his mother had found her true love in him, decided to add a little to the shock by doing what he had wanted to do for a while now. He slowly slid his arms between Regina's and pulled her towards him by her waist, so that her back was flush against his torso. He could see how her face had turned a bright colour of crimson as she anxiously awaited a response from her son.

"And it cannot be reversed?" The boy finally asked.

"My tail? No, only Ursula can, and I don't think I have to explain to you why she won't be willing to help me with that." Regina said quietly, she was a little disappointed that he didn't say anything about the fact that she was with Killian now. She wanted to know what he thought. "Are – Are you okay with...this?"

He eyed her for a while before he finally answered, a smile on his face. "I think it is really cool to have a pirate-dad, and you look really happy like this, mom. But – " His face grew serious again. "I think it's really _not_ cool if you don't come with us."

"But Henry, I already explained to you why I cannot come." Regina said sadly and she now looked at the others that had listened and watched intently how mother and son were conversing. They hadn't really discussed any of this yet. "I will bring everyone in danger if I come with you. I will be captured, die, the secret of Storybrooke will be revealed and so all of you will be in danger. I won't let that happen. I simply won't."

"But – NO! That is so unfair! I just got you back!" The boy said and tears started to fall from his eyes. "Greg and Tamara were right after all! You don't really love me!" He turned around now in Emma's arms and buried his face in the crook of her neck

"Henry, that's not fair. Regina does love you. She's doing this out of love for you" Emma now spoke. It was the least she could do after she had been so mean to Regina.

"Then why does she leave me?"

"Because she _thinks_ there is no way to change her back human. And if there really weren't, Regina is right and it is safest for her to stay here." Emma now spoke. Regina frowned at Emma's choice of words but the blonde continued before she could ask after it.

"But, while Regina was gone to save you, Mr Gold gathered the ingredients for a potion that will be able to turn her back human. So why don't you wipe away those tears and celebrate with us that we have got you back and that we can finally go home, hm?" Emma spoke softly to Henry, as her gaze was focused on Regina, whose big brown eyes had widened and whose right hand was now tightly holding Hook's arm that was still wrapped around her waist, as if it would prove to her that all of this was real.

"Wh – What? " She breathed. "What are you saying Emma?"

"She's saying that this potion, is the key to giving you back your legs." Gold now spoke holding up a small flask with a green substance.

"Really?" Regina asked, her voice thick with held back tears and hope. Hook now moved closer to her so his mouth was close to her ear. "Really, love. We can get out of here as humans, _all_ of us."

"He wouldn't let me go home with all of you before I had retrieved the ingredients, dearie. He must really love you." The Dark One spoke in an amused voice.

A sob escaped Regina's lips as she turned her upper body so she could face the captain. "Thank you." She whispered before she brought her lips to his in a loving kiss.

Oh how she had missed those lips. Every second without him seemed to be one too many. The others let the two adults have their moment but when Hook deepened the kiss the protests emerged from the group.

"Ew mom, gross!"

"There's a child watching, guys!"

"Dearie, get a room will you?"

Hook broke the kiss with a big grin on his face. "Well, you will all have to get used to it. Because I am planning on doing this much more often from now on." And after having that said he brought their lips together once more. And Regina all too happily joined him, both of them ignoring the others.

Everything would be alright again...right?

* * *

**Baaaam update! And also, o my god guys 87 followers for this story, that's seriously the largest number of followers I've ever had for a story!**

**I am sorry for the long wait. University has started again and o. my. god. it is ridiculously busy and difficult and demanding and just blegh! And on top of that I'm struggling with some health problems, so updating is difficult. Therefore I want to ask you what do you want:**

**- Frequent updates but short chapters? (like 500 words)**

**- Or a slightly longer wait between the updates but chapters like this or longer (like 2.500 words)**

**Let me know and tell me what you thought of this chapter :D**

**x**

**Metope**


	15. Chapter 15

**XV**

_**Storybrooke - Past**_

She wasn't sure why she felt like this. So betrayed. It was to be expected after all that he would do this, that he _did_ this. She had pushed him from a cliff where he had to deal with Maleficent for god's sake! She still wasn't sure how he had managed to get out there so quick, but he had, and he had betrayed her.

'_Bag her'_ that bastard Owen had said, as if she were nothing, no human being. Her head hurt from when she had hit the floor after she had been knocked out. She wasn't comfortable at all. The table she was lying on now was hard, it was cold and it smelled like dead fish in here. She tried very hard not to think about the straps around her arms, legs and waist that were holding her down to the table. Thinking too long about it made her panic, as she would start to relive all the times that her mother had constrained her movements by magic.

She closed her eyes. They had left her, she had seen or heard no one in at least ten minutes now. She might as well try to rest a little, as she felt extremely exhausted by the recent events and there was no way she would get out of her on her own now she couldn't use her magic. The grief she felt for her mother's passing was still there, and the pain was fresh. Henry's rejection only adding to that pain, and finding out that he was Gold's grandson made her feel as if she were in some ridiculously bad Spanish soap opera. And Hook...well Hook was a delicate matter.

She had been so cold to him, so distant all the time that she had been with her mother. Love is weakness. He had broken her heart, he hadn't fought for her, he had just handed her over to the sea witch after _it_ had happened all those years ago. He gave up. So when he had come to her here in Storybrooke, asking her to choose him instead of her mother, she had refused. For not once had her mother, unlike him, left her side. It didn't matter what she had done, her mother had always been there. And yet...it hadn't felt right. The moment Cora had appeared in Storybrooke she had felt herself turning back into the eighteen year old girl that did what her mother told her to do, for she didn't know any better. Love is weakness, her mother had said, and so she had kept Hook at arm's length.

And then that little demon of a Snow White had betrayed her trust yet _again_. And all that she had believed in, all that had deemed true, and certain, fell away as she had looked into her mother's eyes. And those eyes – those eyes that resembled hers so much, with the only difference that they lacked any hint of warmth – they suddenly became like her own, filled with warmth, love and care. She had been enough...So then, love wasn't weakness after all?

It had confused her so much. However, it hadn't changed her thoughts about Hook. In a way he was responsible for what had happened. If he hadn't gone so unprepared to New York like that, none of this would have happened. Did he really think he could kill the Dark One? He was given that name for a reason!

She was snapped out of her thoughts by the feeling of cold metal stroking her face. When she opened her eyes she looked into the bright blue eyes of Killian Jones. "Speaking of the devil, I was _just_ thinking about you."

He smirked. "Nothing but good thoughts I hope?"

"You wish." She snorted. "So," She then continued. "Do you even know with whom you're working? Do you even know who these people are?"

"I don't care who they _are_, love." He said as he started walking around the room. She knew that he only did it to annoy her, for she couldn't see him now anymore. "I only care if they can help me."

"And they can? _They_ can help you kill the Dark One?" She asked, disbelief and mock clearly audible in her voice.

"As a matter of fact they can, yes. And I think that little trick they did that blocked your magic, proves why I believe them."

"So what kind of deal is it that you made with them?"

"If I would help them catch you, they will help me kill the crocodile." He walked back to where she was lying and leaned on the table, so that his face was hovering above hers. "But don't worry. They said they would only stripe you of your magic, nothing more."

They stared at each other longer than necessary. She could see that he was having second thoughts about his decision to hand her over to the two. However before she could use that knowledge to her advantage she heard the door open.

"Well pirate, say goodbye to _the Queen_, your job here is done." She heard a women's voice, Tamara.

"I need to leave? I thought we were going to skin a crocodile?" The captain asked as he moved away from her so he could look at Tamara.

"Oh we will." She heard Owen answer. "But first, there are some things that need to be taken care of...some questions need to be answered."

"What questions?" She heard Hook ask. "What are you going to do with that?" She could hear him grow wary. She swallowed, if Hook didn't trust the situation anymore, that meant they were – as she had expected – not being true to their word to Hook.

Greg – Owen – Whatever didn't answer the captain, instead she heard footsteps coming her way and when she turned her head to the right she could see how he set down an odd looking device on the table nearby. When he turned around and saw what she was looking at he smirked. "If you won't answer my question right away this machine will make you." And without any further explanation he grabbed her right hand and clipped a wire to it. He did the same to her other hand after which she felt how he put two small pads to her temples.

"This was not part of the deal, what are you doing to her." She heard Hook growl. She swallowed, he wasn't familiar with this world's technology. She however knew all too well what the device next to her could do.

Greg was going to kill her. It wouldn't matter what she would tell him. The truth would make him want to kill her at once, refusing to answer would probably only buy her time. Time, in which maybe she would be missed by Henry, or Emma, or even the two idiots. Time in which they maybe would go searching for her.

"Relax Hook." She heard Tamara say. "What's with the sudden concern for that witch? I would almost think you _care_ for her."

She snorted. "Well I hope not. A filthy pirate is far below the high standards of a queen. Maybe it would be best if you left indeed." She needed Hook to leave. He would try to help her once Greg would go to work, and that would end badly for him. She hadn't forgotten about that taser of Tamara that apparently was so much more than just an ordinary taser.

He didn't get the hint. "No, I am staying. I want to see what he is going to do with that...contraption. It interests me."

"Whatever you want." Greg now spoke, as he turned to face her again, his left hand close to a button on the machine.

"Now, tell me Regina...Where. Is. My . Father?"

She smirked. "He left town shortly after you did dear. Never saw him again. Didn't you reunite with him?"

"No I did not, he was never seen again." The man next to her growled.

"Oh, what a shame." She spoke in an bored voice.

"A shame indeed. So now tell me, what did there really happen with my father?"

"I don't know."

The sudden pain she felt was excruciating. A surprised and pained gasp left her lips as the electricity coursed through her body.

She heard Hook's furious voice in the background. "You said you wouldn't hurt her!"

"I said we wouldn't hurt her if she cooperated. She is not, so I don't have to keep that promise anymore." Greg snapped before turning his attention back to the woman in front of him.

"Now, I'm sure you don't want to experience that again, so why don't you just tell me: Where is my father?"

Hook's short interruption had given her enough time to compose her a little again. "As I said, he left town. If you didn't find him anymore that is not my fault. It must have happened out of Storybrooke."

"Wrong answer!" Greg yelled, and a bolt of electricity stronger than the previous one set her body on fire. She didn't make a sound this time however. She just shut her eyes, gritted her teeth and tried to ignore the pain as best as she could.

She thought she had opened her eyes as soon as Greg had stopped sending electricity through her body. But when she opened them and saw how Hook was now practically strangling Greg, she knew that it had probably been a little longer. She noticed that she had trouble hearing what was happening, everything sounded as if it was happening under water.

It seemed like Hook was succeeding in overpowering Greg, however he didn't pay attention to Tamara who was now coming from behind him, taser in her hand. She wanted to warn him, but when she opened her mouth, she didn't produce any sounds. She tried again but all that could be heard was a faint whimper. And so she helplessly watched as Tamara activated the taser and how seconds later Hooks body went limp.

Greg pushed the pirate off of him and let him fall to the ground. "Get him out of here." He growled to Tamara, who did as she was told by sliding her arms under Hook's and started to move him like that away from her and Greg.

"Now, where were we..." The man asked her, an evil grin on his face.

**Here you go lovelies ****. No Neverland in this one, but that's because my arms started to hurt and I wanted to have at least something up, for I don't know when I will have the time to update again! My Master's program is very demanding, so that eats all the time that I have. The little spare time that is left I have to divide between watching series, writing and drawing..so yeah..**

**Btw, if you want to follow me on twitter or anything. I'm both there and on instagram known as: Diejj**

**x**

**Metope**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: O MY GOD YOU GUYS! This story now has 100 followers! Which is a lot for me, since I've never had so many followers to a story before AND this isn't a SwanQueen story (cause those always easily pass 400 followers within the first 10 chapters :P). I'm super grateful and happy with all your support and your lovely reviews, and here is the next chapter ;)!**

**XVI**

She still wasn't used to the long hair, or the blue fishtail. She doubted she ever would, then again it wasn't really necessary that she would, for she would soon be a human again.

They had agreed to only change her back right before they would sail through the portal. It had been quite the discussion. Hook had wanted her to change back immediately, so they would be sure it worked and she would be safe. However the others had argued that it would be best if she stayed like this for a while longer, so that if there might be an unexpected attack from either the lost boys or Ursula, they still had someone with magical powers on their team.

The compromise had been to let her stay on the ship, her tail in a small instantly created basin so she wouldn't die. That way she would be close to Hook, who could keep her safe, and she could still protect _them_ if it were necessary.

She brushed some of her blonde hair out of her face as her eyes followed the dark chocolate brown eyes that were staring at the captain who was standing at the steering wheel. A smile appeared on the blonde's face as she saw the love shine in the brunette's eyes. However, a small frown appeared on the brunette's face as the mermaid's gaze landed on her son.

Emma was confused. What was bothering Regina? Henry was sitting with her father, as the latter was explaining him how to create a fishing net. She walked towards the adoptive mother of her son and went to sit next to the brunette.

"Hey." She spoke quietly, staring ahead.

"Miss Swan."

"He should join a scouting team or something…he's quite good at the whole ropes-thing.." She tried to casually start a conversation, however her attempt was smashed down by a cold reply from Regina.

"I'm sorry the curse didn't create a scouting team in Storybrooke. Maybe you can sign him up for one once you've taken him away from me."

Ah there it was, Emma thought, that's what was bothering the other woman. "Why would you think I'm going to take him away from you?"

The brunette snorted. "Isn't that what you have been trying to do since the moment you set foot in Storybrooke? And your behavior prior to all this – " She made a gesture towards her tail. "didn't make me believe that goal had changed, quite the opposite actually."

Emma sighed. Regina was partly true. Initially she had wanted to take Henry away from Regina. Then, when they had saved the town together from total destruction she had changed her opinion, but when Regina had seemed to be insufferable all the time on the ship, the old disdain she had felt for the brunette had returned again. But _then_ 'all this' as Regina had called it happened, and the blonde had changed her mind about the other woman once more. "It's complicated." She sighed therefore. "But what I do know, is that I would never take him away from you, Regina. If this living nightmare has taught me one thing, it is that you love Henry with all your heart, that you would never hurt him on purpose, and that he loves you too."

"I love Henry and I would not _ever _hurt him, that is true." The brunette spoke slowly. "However, I am not so sure if Henry still loves me.."

Emma was sincerely shocked. Both by the fact that Regina thought Henry didn't love her, and because the brunette allowed herself to appear so vulnerable to the blonde. "Why would you think that?" She gasped softly. "He loves you more than anything. You're his mother!"

But Regina shook her head. "You heard him. He thinks I don't love him. I'm not worthy of his love.."

"Regina, he just says that because he is _eleven_. He's a kid. That's what kids do. Everything is black or white to them. He just said that to get what he wants. He knows what buttons to press…"

"How can you be sure it is just that." The brunette's voice was unnaturally thin, and when the blonde looked to her right she saw a tear stroll down Regina's cheek.

"I know, because I can _see_ his love for you in his eyes, Regina. Come on, don't cry, we're almost out of this horrid place, don't give up now." The blonde said softly and she tentatively moved closer to the brunette and put an arm around the mermaid's shoulders.

For a moment she thought Regina was going to push her away with magic, but quite the opposite happened as the brunette moved her head to lie on the blonde's shoulders as heavy sobs started to wreck her body. "I'm just so tired, and everything has been crazy, and I am so scared all the time that just as things seem to go right, all hell will break loose again." She sobbed, and Emma responded by wrapping her other arm around the brunette's body, making sure she wouldn't cut herself by touching the scales of the large blue fin.

"Ssssh, all will be okay, Regina. Henry is save, we have a potion for you, you've found love and we are almost home." The blonde spoke as she rubbed soft circles on the brunette's back in a hope to soothe her. She felt extremely awkward doing this, but she knew she had to be there for the woman in this moment. Regina needed someone to tell her all would be fine, and since Hook was occupied by steering the ship, she seemed to be the next person Regina felt safe confiding in.

"Why are you so nice to me?" The brunette sobbed.

"You just have a good cry, let it all out. You've been so strong all this time, Regina. I really admire your strength." Emma said and she really did. If she would have been turned into a mermaid, a deed that was seemingly irreversible, she was sure she would have gone crazy. Her words only made the brunette cry even harder.

Emma was too occupied soothing the woman in her arms that she didn't notice how the other occupants of the ship had ceased their actions and all stared at the scene of the mermaid and former evil queen broke down in the arms of the savior.

"Mom, are you alright? What is going on?" Henry asked as he got up and walked over to his two mothers.

"It's nothing to worry about Henry…She is just…" Emma started, but she didn't really know how to finish that sentence without making her son feel guilty. Luckily the boy seemed to understand as he went to sit down on his knees next to Emma and moved closer so he could wrap his arms around Regina.

"I love you mom, both of you, and thank you for rescuing me." He mumbled as he buried his face in the crook of Regina's neck. The brunette moved a little away from Emma at her son's words as she now wrapped her arms around Henry and pulled him closer.

"I'm so sorry, Henry. I love you so much." She sobbed as Henry let himself being held by his mother, just like she had done before things had become bad between the two of them.

"I love you mom." Henry repeated and Emma smiled at the scene. Slowly she got up to give mother a son a moment alone and she walked over to Hook.

"Is she alright?" The pirate asked his gaze fixed on his true love and her son.

"She will be." Emma answered. "She has ignored her feelings, her doubts, her anxiousness for so long these past few weeks…She simply couldn't hold it in any longer."

The pirate nodded. "I will be glad when we get home and I can hold her in my arms again, as a _human_." He spoke and his hand went automatically to the pocket of his long coat to check if the potion was still in his possession.

"We will all be glad when this is over, Hook." After that none of them said anything for a while as they just looked out over the sea in a peaceful quietness.

"We're almost there. Only a few more miles and we can open a portal." The pirate spoke. "Can you get everyone ready?"

Emma nodded. Home. They would finally go home. And with a happy grin on her face she jumped off the stairs to the lower deck to tell her parents and Gold to get themselves ready.

And no one noticed the black orbs, long hair and a tentacle sticking out of the water only enough for the creature to watch the ship. Nor did anyone see the young eyes of a boy who hadn't aged in years, looking at the ship from behind a cloud. When the black eyes met the young one's gaze they sent each other an evil smirk. No one left Neverland…_No_ One.

**BAM there you go! I am so incredibly tired that I simply cannot do anything for Uni, even though I should. So I decide to provide you with a small update instead ****!**

**Ooo Ursula and Peter are up to something, so it seems!**

**Leave a review behind please :D. I'll reread on spelling mistakes tomorrow cause I'm too tired to keep my eyes open any longer x')**


	17. Chapter 17

**XVII**

Henry hadn't moved away right away after Regina had calmed down a little, and she was thankful for that. So now they were just sitting there on the ship, waiting for Hook to give the sign that it was time to open a portal.

They had decided that it would be better to open a portal in the air this time, just in case Ursula was still up to something.

"Okay, this is it. Crocodile, to you the honor of opening the portal." Hook said as he turned away from the steering wheel to hand a bean over to his arch nemesis. The imp sent a fake smile to the pirate before he took the bean and went to the front of the ship from where he would throw the bean when the sign was given.

Emma walked over to her son and his adoptive mother and when Regina saw her coming she slowly started to remove her son's arms from around her waist. "Henry, dear. It's time, Emma is going to take you below deck now where you will be safe."

The boy nodded as he pulled away from her. "I love you mom." He said one more time before he got up.

"I love you too, baby." She smiled before she turned her attention to Killian who had now approached her.

"It's time love. We're going to change you back."

Her smile grew wider at his words."Finally." She breathed. But before Hook's hand could travel to the pocket of his coat to get the potion a large black tentacle appeared from out of the sea and slammed the pirate away from Regina over the ship, where his back hit a couple of barrels before he lay still on the deck unconscious.

"Hook!" Regina screamed in shock. She had wanted to break his fall with her magic but was too late as a set of arrows had suddenly been coming her way and she had to deflect those instead.

Fear clenched at her heart as she realized they were being ambushed. At least twenty lost boys were attacking them from the air, and apparently they had joined forces with Ursula and her guards. As she looked over the ship she saw how Snow was desperately trying to avoid being captured by yet another tentacle from Ursula as David and Gold were each fighting three lost boys at a time. Hook was slowly regaining consciousness again, to her great relief, and she saw how he was just in time to deflect an attack from a lost boy as well.

She tried to help them by sending fireballs to their enemies, but from this place there wasn't much she could do. She had to get into the water in order to make herself useful, and so she lifted her tail out the basin it had been in and started to drag herself to the side of the ship.

Halfway she was met with Emma who had just come up again from bringing Henry to safety.

"Emma!" She yelled panicked and the blonde immediately walked over to Regina as she heard her name being called.

"Regina, what happened, what's going on?"

"We're being attacked, dear." Even in the most pressing situations the brunette simply couldn't help herself with those remarks. "Listen, " She continued, all the while creating a magic shield around them so they wouldn't have to worry about lost boys for a while as she was explaining her plan to Emma. "You need to help me get into the water, only that way I can be of any use. I'll fight off the mermaids as long as I can and will cast a shield over the ship so that the lost boys can't get to it. In the meantime you have to make sure that Gold opens the portal in the air. Once that is done force Hook to start sailing towards the portal. I will join you again from there. Alright?"

The blonde nodded. She didn't like the idea, there were far too many things that could go wrong, and she saw in Regina's eyes that the brunette knew this too, however there was no alternative, this was their only chance.

So the blonde lifted Regina up bridal style – which caused Regina to gain new respect for the savior, for she knew her tail made her quite heavy – and quickly walked her towards the railing of the ship.

"Are you sure you're okay there on your own?" She asked, her green eyes displaying sincere concern. Regina put a reassuring hand to Emma's shoulder. "I don't have another choice, now do I?" She said and with that she pushed herself off the railing and fell into the water.

The moment the cold water hit her she was also met by the livid face of her favorite Sea Witch.

"You have come to join us, I see." Ursula spoke wickedly.

"I said I would end you if you would get in my way one more time, and so I will." The brunette roared back as she cast a few spells at the witch already.

Ursula deflected them all as she sent a few spells of her own which Regina new to avoid as well. She now quickly swam up to the surface again, followed by Ursula. As she got up she saw that her shield had worked, and that the lost boys were now screaming furiously as they couldn't come near the ship anymore.

"Ah very clever, a protection shield, but not clever enough." Ursula smirked and she waved her hand, however the shield stayed in place. She waved her hand again, but again nothing happened. "What.." the Sea Witch hissed and Regina laughed a low and evil laugh.

"I told you, I am stronger than you, you stupid witch!" She roared as she sent a strong bolt of magic towards the sea witch, who wasn't able to defend herself this time and was sent back over the water a couple of meters.

From the corner of her eye she saw how a portal had now opened in the air and the ship now started to sail towards it, the front of the ship already lifting up from the water, they were following her plan perfectly, and it was time to end things.

Anger boiled up within her as she looked at the sea witch that had recovered from her attack again and was now conjuring a counter attack. That witch had prevented her from being with the man she loved _twice_ now, and now she was harming her family. Her thoughts distracted her and so she didn't see the fireball coming that Ursula had sent her way.

"Not so strong as you think you are after all?" The creature mocked as the spell flung Regina back a couple of meters.

An old anger, as the one she had felt when she had been the Evil Queen, started to take over as she felt energy build up within herself. "I _will_ destroy you, if it is the last thing I do!" She all but screamed as she finally let the energy within her being released and a strong beam of dark purple magic left her hands and hit Ursula right in the chest.

She didn't wait to see what had been the result of her attack. That spell was deadly and by the scream she had heard the Sea Witch let out she knew it had hit her. It was time now to get to the ship that was quite high up in the air already.

She swam towards the Jolly Roger as fast as she could. Hook was hanging over the railing already. "Regina! Hurry up!" He cried, holding his hand out so she could grab it once she would be close enough.

"NOW!" The pirate emphasized his previous words, and the brunette nodded.

With all her power and strength she used her magic to launch herself out of the water to fly up. She reached her arms out so she would be able to grab Killian's outstretched hand. But fear clung to her heart when she felt herself slow down already only inches from her lover's hand away. The ship was going too fast and was to high up in the air.

Tears started to pull from her eyes as she felt herself fall down again. "I love you…take care of Henry." She spoke quietly loud enough so he could still hear it.

"NO!" Hook cried out in anger and frustration. "You cannot leave me like this!"

Emma, who had seen all of what happened quickly walked over to the captain as they both saw how Regina was falling down again with a rapid speed.

"I'm so sorry, Hook." She said, and sincere sadness was audible in her voice.

"NO." He growled. "I'm NOT going to leave her behind here again." And before Emma even knew what the pirate meant by that, he climbed over the railing and jumped off the ship.

"Hook!" Emma screamed in shock, and the last thing she saw before the Jolly Roger was swallowed by the portal was how Regina moved her hand up to her mouth in shock, while still in the air, as she saw the pirate jumping.

**Ok..so…I'm so afraid to hear what you all think of this! Please review and let me know ****!**

**x**

**Metope**

**ps. I'm gonna reread this later, because study books await now. **


	18. Chapter 18

**XVIII**

**Neverland present**

Everything that happened after she had launched herself out of the water seemed to happen in slow motion. First she felt relief that the Jolly Roger seemed to have made it to the portal, however that feeling quickly made place for utter devastation as she realised they were too far up in the sky already for her to still be able to reach them.

Tears had brimmed in her eyes when she had told Killian that she loved him, thinking she would never see him again. Which added all the more to the terror she felt when she saw how the man she loved jumped over board after her. As she fell down, her back towards the water, she had raised her hand to cover her mouth that was wide agape with shock. The last thing she saw before she hit the water were Emma's green eyes who were looking at Hook with an equal amount of shock in them.

She couldn't see a thing as she fell in the water, the sea was still rough and the bubbles around her prevented her sight. She moved her arms, trying to make the bubbles pop and go away but it didn't go as fast as she wanted to. The sea was dark and a frustrated whimper left her mouth as she saw no sign of Hook whatsoever.

There was no way that he could have managed to swim to safety in this storm. She had to find him or he would drown. She conjured a small ball of bright energy in her hand to improve her sight, but she still couldn't see Hook anywhere and so she started to swim in the direction that she thought Hook would have landed.

Swimming was difficult as the sea was strong and with every second that passed she grew more anxious, every second that she didn't find him was a second in which Death could creep closer to taking away from her the man she loved, her _true_ love, _again_.

Just as she was about to give up searching in this direction and try another part of the sea something shining caught her eye. As she moved her hand that was holding her light source towards what she had seen she could see the faint outlines of a hook. She had found him.

As quickly as she could she swam towards the shining metal object. However the hope she had found in finally finding him was quickly knocked out of her again as she saw the state the pirate was in. He was unconsciously floating in the sea as his hook had caught behind a few rocks. On the side of his head he had a large bleeding gash and he was pale, _deadly _pale.

"No, no, no. Don't die! You can't leave me, you stupid pirate!" Regina whimpered as she swam behind him so she could move her arms under his and take him with her like that. With her right hand she waved shortly in front of his face, creating an air bubble around his face. It would hold only for a short amount of time, but hopefully it would be enough to get him to the shore and prevent anymore water from entering his lungs. She started swimming upwards to the surface as fast as she could, but the sea was still wild and with the extra limp weight of Killian she didn't go fast at all. Matters became even worse when her way up was suddenly blocked by a group of mermaids.

She recognized the black and blond haired mermaids she had talked to in the diner a few days ago among the mermaids. Being near desperation and exhausted Regina simply didn't have the energy to fight with them.

"Please let me pass! I don't want to harm anyone, and he is dying!" She begged, she _begged!_ Gods she had sunk low, but she didn't care, all that mattered was that Killian would survive. "I don't want to harm you, any of you, I never wanted to! What happened with Ariel was a mistake! I didn't know she would be killed, I am sorry! I am, but please let me pass!" She felt tears slip from her eyes and she closed them as she saw the two mermaids of the diner swimming towards her.

Well, this was it, they would take Killian from her now and then try to kill her. Killian would die, and so would she, because there was absolutely no reason for her to stay alive as once more everyone and everything she loved was been taken from her.

She felt how the weight of the still unconscious pirate was lifted and she opened her eyes. She would try one more time. She would fight her exhaustion one more time to try to save him. "Please!" She begged. "I love him! He cannot die! He – " She was silenced as the blonde mermaid now took her hand and she saw how the black mermaid had taken Killian with her to the other mermaids who were now all carrying him.

"Sssh." The blonde mermaid spoke. "It is alright. We are here to help. We will get you to safety, to a place where you will be safe from the lost boys. Now come."

And she tugged on Regina's hand before she started swimming in the direction that the other mermaids had gone with Killian. Regina followed confused.

" You want to help me? Why? I thought you hated me?"

The blonde mermaid shook her head. "We voted unanimously to help you. You apologized for the death of the princess, and we believe that you sincerely regret bringing the Dark One here to help the Sea Witch. Which means the essence of your heart is good, you're just..impulsive...And then you killed the Sea Witch. You saved us and freed us from her tyranny and it cost you much. You lost your family, your son, you shouldn't also have to lose the man you love over this. So we decided to help you."

Regina listened in awe at the words of the blonde mermaid. For a moment she felt hope that all would be fine after all, but when her gaze fell upon the limp form of the captain her mood saddened again. "I'm not so sure whether there is still something to be helped with. I am not sure if he will make it." She spoke quietly.

The blonde shook her head. "He will make it. With the right care of a loving person he will. You did well by using that air bubble to keep anymore water out. You will just have to tend to the wound on his head, and use your magic to get rid of the water in his lungs and all will be fine. _Trust_ me." And the blonde sent Regina an encouraging smile.

Regina reciprocated the gesture with a small yet sincere smile of her own. Trust. Trusting was something she didn't do easily, but in this case she had no other choice, so she might as well give it a try.

**Storybrooke Present**

"Where is mom?"

The one question she did not want him to ask, and of course it was the first question he asked when he entered the deck of the ship again now they were sailing calmly towards Storybrooke, her father at the steering wheel.

"- And why is gramps sailing the ship? Where is Hook?"

She turned around, and she knew he knew something was wrong the moment he looked into her eyes. She hadn't been able to mask the devastation and shock she felt after what had happened. She had just told her parents and Gold and even they were shocked.

"Henry, come sit here." She sat as she went to sit down on a barrel and patted on the barrel next to her. The boy, knowing he would get answers if he would obey quickly walked over to his blonde mother and went to sit next to her.

"So, where are they?"

Her heart broke as she looked into his young hopeful eyes. "Henry–" She started. "Your mom loved you very much, you know that right? And she – "

"Why are you speaking in past tense, as if she has died. What happened?" His voice grew more frantic now and Emma sighed. She sucked in doing this. This was not her thing. Regina was the one who was good in this, she was the parent! How could she have done this, why did this happen!

"I mean, your mother _loves_ you very much, Henry. But...as we started sailing towards the portal we got attacked by Ursula and by the Lost Boys and your mom fought very hard to keep them from harming us. She was really bad ass."

"She was?" Henry asked, his voice a mix of surprise and pride.

Emma smiled a small smile at him. "Yes kid, she really was. We had a plan. She would go into the water to keep Ursula away from the ship and she would keep the lost boys away with a protection shield. Then Gold would open a portal and she would jump back on board right before we would go through the portal. And – And all seemed to go as planned, and Regina fought Ursula, she defeated her and so she used her magic to jump to the ship, but –" She swallowed. She didn't want to do this, she didn't want to see the devastation that would inevitably be there once she told him.

"But?" Henry pushed. "what happened, mom?"

" We were too high up in the sky already, Henry." Emma said, her voice barely louder than a whisper. "She jumped, Hook reached out for her so he could help her up. But she didn't make it. She started to fall down again before she could grab Hook's hand. She was too late...and Hook...He didn't want to leave her alone. He did that once, and he didn't want to do it twice. So he jumped after her, and that's the last thing I saw before we went through the portal. The portal that we opened with the last bean. The portal that is now closed...so your mom...and Hook...they are still in Neverland, Henry. And I think they are stuck there. I –I am so sorry."

She didn't dare to look at him, her eyes transfixed on her hands that were lying in her lap. "They are gone?" She heard his small voice from next to her and all she could do was nod.

"But – But that was not supposed to happen." His voice was thick with tears now, tears he was desperately trying to hold back. "She, she saved me, she saved all of us. She became _good_ again. She deserves her happy ending! You are lying! This can't happen!" His voice grew louder as anger took over and he got up from the barrel, stamping his foot to the ground.

"Henry.." She tried.

"NO! THIS IS NOT TRUE. THIS CAN'T HAPPEN. SHE WAS FINALLY GOOD!" Angry tears were falling down his cheeks, and she started to cry herself as well when she saw the hurt and the sadness in his young eyes.

"Henry, you cannot talk to Ms Swan like that, it's not her fault." Gold now spoke up but Emma shook her head. "It's okay. He is just trying to deal with this, just let him."

"Why didn't you help her? Why didn't you just give her the potion when you had the chance? Why didn't you all listen to Hook who said we should give her the potion immediately. She would never have gone in the water then!" He screamed at all of them.

"We would never have made it to Storybrooke if we would have done that, Henry." Snow now said quietly. "Regina saved us, she sacrificed herself for us."

"No she sacrificed herself for ME. So that I could be safe! It is all my fault!" He cried.

It broke Emma's heart. "O Henry." She now got up and walked over to her son. She hesitated for a second, afraid that he would push her away, but when she looked into his eyes and saw the silent plea she slowly moved her arms around him and pulled him into a tight loving hug.

His hands automatically moved to her back, grabbing fists full of her tank top as he cried. "I want my mommy! I want my mommy back!" And all Emma could do was hold him and try to give him all the love she had, even though she knew it was nowhere near enough to replace the emptiness her son was feeling at losing his mother.

**Soo saaaaaaaad. What do you guys think ****? Please leave a review!**

**x**

**Metope**


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